Both A Little Scared
by BritNP
Summary: Kurt and Dave are classmates, but they start off the school year on the wrong foot. Dave wants to be liked, and Kurt isn't what you would call "popular". In order to stay good with his friends, he has to be a bit of a bully to Kurt, but he secretly wants to be friends with him. Kid!fic; could eventually be romance
1. Kindergarten

On the first day of Mrs. Zach's kindergarten class, little Dave formed three opinions about Kurt Hummel. The first being that Kurt was pretty brave. He had never known any other boy his age that would openly admit that they liked to play with dolls. The second was that Kurt must not care about making friends with other little boys. He didn't want to do anything that the other little boys did, like wrestling or spitballing the girls. In fact, Dave got the impression that Kurt would rather play with the girls, which brought him to his third opinion of Kurt: he was girl-crazy.

He had heard his mom use that word before to describe another one of his friends, Trey. Trey did everything he could to make friends with girls and make them like him, not really caring about whether or not the other boys liked him. He just wanted to be able to say he had a girlfriend, and he always did. If you believed a word he said, he often had more than one.

So Dave thought that maybe Kurt was just girl crazy. Maybe he pretended to like the girly stuff so that girls would like him. He seemed to genuinely dislike the boy stuff, but you never could be too sure. Sometimes he looked a little interested in playing kickball, and boy could Kurt run, but the other boys said he was too little to play with them. Dave felt kinda bad about that, but he laughed with them and made fun of Kurt for being too little and too girly to play kickball with them.

It wasn't two weeks before Dave found out that maybe Kurt wasn't too small or girly to be a little mean or strong. They were playing dodgeball in gym, and Dave wasn't quite sure how it happened, but it had come down to just him and Kurt. He knew how Kurt had done it. Kurt was a fast little thing and was easily able to dodge the balls aimed at him. He also had terrific aim, and Dave had to wonder if maybe Kurt was in t-ball. He'd never seen him, but maybe they played at different parks. Still, compelled by the taunting of his own teammates, Dave began to pick on Kurt again for being too small and weak to beat him. He had turned to his teammates, smirking, and as he looked back at Kurt, he realized a little too late that you _never_ take your eyes off of your opponent. He was on the ground, lying on his back as he held his hands over his nose, desperately trying not to cry from the sharp, stinging he felt.

His teammates hadn't run to his aid, being to upset over the fact that he'd managed to lose to _Kurt_. So, he was more than a little surprised when he looked to see Kurt knelt down beside him, apologizing again and again for hurting him. Why was _Kurt_ apologizing? He should be the one apologizing, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he shoved Kurt away, angry that he'd been _humiliated_ in front of all of his friends. Kurt looked hurt, but didn't say anything as he got to his feet and went back to his team. The whistle was blown for them to assemble on opposite sides of the gym, preparing for another game. It didn't matter. Dave's heart wasn't in it this time around.

A part of him felt terrible over the way he'd treated the smaller boy, but a much bigger part wanted to be liked by the other boys in his class. He'd heard the way that those boys had talked about Kurt, knew that they wouldn't hesitate to talk the same about him if he showed any compassion towards the other boy. So he continued to tease and taunt the other boy, laughing with the others as they picked on Kurt for playing dolls or dress-up with the other girls. It made him cool. It made him liked. By the other boys, anyway. The girls were a whole different story, but Dave was still in that stage where he girls had cooties, and so he just didn't care what they thought.

Most of the time, Dave could stick to the back of the group, going a little easier on Kurt than the others. It wasn't noticed because they were working as a team. The goal was always the same: reduce him to tears. They hadn't managed to do it just yet, but Dave had no doubt that Kurt would break down one of these days. Dave would never admit it, but he often thought that if the boys treated him that way, he would cry. He didn't know why it was so important that they like him, it just was.

Despite the popular opinion, Dave liked Kurt. He thought Kurt was cool, in his own way. He was awed by the courage that Kurt possessed, and amazed by the fact that Kurt could take the verbal – and sometime physical – abuse as well as he did. Of course, he could never know that when Kurt was alone in the privacy of his own home, he did cry. He couldn't know that Kurt desperately wanted to be liked by the boys, but he knew that he could never even begin to pretend to like all the things that the boys liked. Kurt knew that the boys would always think him too small or too weak to pick him for their team. And it broke Kurt's heart, but he hid it so well, and he took their abuse because he was sure that there was nothing he could do. He'd tried the teacher route, but she'd just "talked" to the boys and that had only made it all that much worse.

Kurt got along well with the girls in his class, but he wouldn't really call any of them "friends." Not in the let's-have-sleepovers-and-stay-up-all-night sense. He almost felt like he belonged in neither group. He wasn't boyish enough for the boys, and he was too much of a boy for the girls. There was no real place for him. So even if he played with people at school, he still felt rather lonely and almost relieved when the bell signaled the end of the school day. Almost.

He and Dave actually lived in the same neighborhood, though he was determined that Dave would never find that out. He often took a back way to avoid the other boy, even if it meant soiling his shoes. He'd actually taken to wearing old, worn shoes through the sometimes muddy alley-like way and across the big field. He switched out shoes just outside the windows to the art room, knowing that hardly anyone ever ventured out here.

All of this changed, however, when Dave had suddenly decided to find a new way to his house. Kurt wasn't entirely sure of the reasoning. He thought that he saw Dave kick another boy, Jimmy, on the playground earlier that day, and he knew that Dave and Jimmy walked together after school. But even if that was the case, Dave would never be afraid of Jimmy, so Kurt wasn't really sure why Dave did it, but Dave discovered his secret way to the school. Well, maybe it wasn't so secret, but no one else went that way, so it felt secret to him. It felt sacred to him, and Dave was violating that.

He thought that maybe if he walked fast enough, Dave wouldn't bother him. Instead, he found that Dave was running to catch up with him, shouting his name. Kurt tried to ignore him and walk faster, but Dave caught up with him before long, panting as he slowed his pace to match Kurt's.

"Didn't... you... hear me?" Dave asked, gasping between words as he struggled to catch his breath. Kurt felt a wave of concern for the other boy and slowed his pace a little bit. Then he remembered that this boy picked on him daily and frowned.

"What do you want?" Kurt asked stiffly.

"Do you live this way?" Dave questioned after he finally caught his breath, his eyes wide as he walked alongside Kurt.

"No." Kurt lied.

"Then why are you going this way?" Dave frowned, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"Because I'm going to my friend's house today." Kurt said, biting his lip as he glanced over at Dave. He doubted Dave could see through the lie, but he still worried that Dave might realize that he _did_, in fact, live over in this area.

"One of your girlfriends?" Dave said, his tone teasing. Kurt wasn't sure why he suddenly bristled at the accusation, but he did know that he did not like it _at all_.

"No!" Kurt shouted and then broke out into a run, knowing that he could easily outrun Dave. He didn't want Dave to see where he went, and he didn't want to listen to the other boy tease him. He got enough of that at school, and he shouldn't have to deal with that now. His lungs were burning as he reached his front steps, quickly unlocking the door with the key around his neck. He quickly shut the door behind him, leaning back against it as he panted.

"Kurt?" His mother called from the kitchen, stepping into the living room to see if it was Kurt standing there. "Kurt, what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing," Kurt managed, still panting as he bent over, putting his hands on his knees. "Dog."

"Did the neighbors rottweiler get out _again_?" Elizabeth sighed. They'd had a problem with this dog for months, mostly because it seemed to _hate_ Kurt. Kurt knew that he could blame it on the dog and his mother would believe it. Why wouldn't he? Kurt never lied to her. As Elizabeth stepped back into the kitchen, Kurt used the opportunity to slip into his room unnoticed. Today had been a hard day.

* * *

Harder days were ahead, Kurt soon realized. Dave had been even more of a bully than usual the following day, during class. If Kurt was the violent type, he might have already hit Dave, but, alas, he wasn't. Besides, being so much smaller than Dave, that would be a dumb idea. As it was, he didn't dare even talking back to Dave. Or any of the other boys that picked on him. Another girl had said that her mother told her if she just ignored them, they would get bored and stop. Kurt tried this tactic day in and day out, but it never seemed to work. The boys never seemed to get bored.

Yesterday's encounter with Kurt after school had left Dave confused. On one hand, he had mostly tried to be friendly. On the other, he wasn't supposed to be friendly to Kurt. Then there was the fact that Kurt had just taken off running away from him, and try as he might, Dave could never catch up to Kurt. He was afraid that the other boys might find out that Dave had tried to be nice. He was afraid that Kurt would tell them. So, he decided that the only way to keep out of trouble with the other boys was to be even meaner to Kurt the following day. He didn't particularly like it, especially when he saw that, like him, Kurt was also really confused. He could also see that Kurt was scared, and Dave somehow hoped that this might be enough to keep Kurt quiet about the day before.

The day ended like the previous one, with Dave slipping out of the art room doors to take the back way home. He hadn't really realized it was here until he decided to find a new way home to avoid Jimmy. It wasn't that he was scared of Jimmy; he was just tired of his mouth. He was glad he kicked him, even if he lost recess because of it. Mrs. Zach had just gave him a warning, telling him that next time, his father would be called. Still, it had been worth it to see the look on Jimmy's face. He giggled to himself as he thought about it.

He heard the door to the art class click shut behind him. He turned to see Kurt trying to tiptoe the other way, no doubt having caught sight of Dave. He was going to his friend's house again, then. Dave wondered if he should call out something mean to Kurt, but without the other boys around, he felt like he didn't need to be mean to Kurt. He did, however, try to call out to the other boy again. Kurt froze, turning to look at him, and Dave saw that same terror in his eyes that he'd seen earlier that day when Dave and the other boys had cornered him in the boys bathroom.

He would make up for that.

He took a couple of tentative steps toward Kurt, afraid that if he moved too quickly, he might scare him off. Like a squirrel in a tree or a bird on the windowsill. He had to be slow and gentle. Kurt just stared at him, seemingly rooted to the spot he stood in. Dave shoved his hands in his pockets, saying, "I'm not going to hit you or anything."

"Yeah, right." Kurt said, rolling his eyes. Dave's eyes widened. He'd never heard Kurt talk back like that before. Kurt seemed to realize his error as he clamped his hand over his mouth, no longer paralyzed with fear.

"I'm not." Dave insisted.

"Why not?" Kurt asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. _Brave_, Dave thought. Dave just shrugged and turned back towards the field, beginning the walk home. His answer hadn't been enough for Kurt, though, because Kurt was running up beside him, asking angrily, "Why _not_?"

"Are you _mad_?" Dave asked, surprised again.

"I'm mad because I want to know _why_ you're mean to me in class but you're not being mean to me _now_." Kurt said, clenching his fists. Dave shoved his hands deeper in his pockets and kept his eyes on the ground, determined not to answer Kurt. How would even tell him the answer to that, anyway? Did he _have_ the answer to that?

"Tell me!" Kurt cried, grabbing Dave's arm. Dave gasped in shock, and Kurt quickly dropped his arm and backed away, as though he were afraid of suddenly being struck. Dave took a step towards Kurt, and Kurt stumbled backwards, falling back onto the grass. He stared up at Dave in fear, and Dave stopped. He didn't like it when Kurt looked so scared, he realized. He didn't like it at all.

"I want to be your friend." Dave said quietly, holding his hand out to Kurt. Kurt flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. After a moment, he looked up at Dave, staring suspiciously at the other boy's extended hand.

"Then why are you so mean to me?" Kurt asked, not trusting Dave in the slightest.

"Because if I'm your friend, then the other boys won't be _my_ friends. And I want to be their friend. So I have to be mean to you." Dave answered, looking down at the ground, ashamed.

"That's stupid." Kurt muttered, shaking his head as he got to his feet without Dave's help. He stared at Dave in disgust for a moment, and Dave realized he didn't like Kurt looking at him like that, either. He didn't have to see it for long, though, because Kurt took off running again. Dave didn't even bother to try and catch up with him this time. Why would he? Kurt thought he was stupid. And maybe he was, but at least he had friends.

* * *

To Kurt, it was weird to think that someone who bullied him endlessly might actually want to be his friend. Kind of like when he heard adults say that if a boy picked on a girl, it was because he liked them. Well, in that case it was like-like and Dave definitely didn't like-like Kurt. But still. Why would you be so cruel towards someone if you wanted to be their friend?

What was more puzzling was the fact that the meaner he was at school, the more friendly he seemed to be when they were alone. It was almost like hot and cold extremes, and Kurt wasn't quite sure what to make of any of it. Maybe this was why he wasn't really friends with boys. They didn't seem to make any sense.

So he had a decision to make, though he thought he already had made it. Did he want to be Dave's friend? And what exactly did a friendship with Dave Karofsky entail? No more picking on him? He doubted that was the case. Dave had said he wanted to be friends with the other boys, so he had to be mean to Kurt. So then how on earth could the two of them be friends? It just didn't make sense to Kurt at all. He didn't really think that they really _could_ be friends as long as Dave was bullying him.

He did make a decision the following day, when he was at lunch. He watched the other boys more closely now, his eyes mostly on Dave. Several times, he caught Dave glancing over at him, and he wondered if that was a common occurrence. As far as he knew, the boys only ever acknowledged him when they were picking on him. After school, he gathered his things up much more slowly, taking his time because he knew that Dave could possibly be waiting outside. For a moment, he wondered if maybe this wasn't some kind of ambush type thing, but he wasn't really sure that Dave was smart enough for something like that.

When he pushed through the art doors, he found that he'd been right. Dave was sitting cross-legged against the wall, picking at the grass. Kurt paused, looking down at Dave, and Dave looked up at him, his mouth opening slightly. Kurt thought he heard him say hello, but it was mumbled so quietly that Dave could have been saying anything. Dave got to his feet, dusting off his jeans. He avoided looking Kurt in the eyes, and Kurt thought that was a little weird.

"If we're going to be friends, you can't ever hit me." Kurt told him, and Dave's head snapped up in surprise. Dave gave him a small smile, and Kurt got the feeling as though he'd somehow made Dave's day. He seemed to make him happy at least. As a boy who was friends with all the other boys, why would it matter if Kurt was his friend or not? Dave didn't make any sense at all.

"I won't." Dave promised eagerly. Kurt started forward, beginning the walk home, and Dave fell into step beside him.

"And you have to stop being so mean to me."

"I _can't_. The other boys will stop playing with me." Dave pressed. Kurt glanced over at Dave, frowning but gave a small nod.

"Fine. Okay. Not _as_ mean." Kurt said, and Dave nodded. Kurt had a little logic behind all of this. It came to him while he'd been watching the boys at lunch. He knew that he might be able to make a couple of demands in the way of Dave's treatment of him, and Dave might agree. He also knew that if he ever told any of the other boys about any of this, Dave would have to go through everything he's had to endure. He didn't think he'd ever really tell, but it was nice to have something to hold over Dave, in case he ever needed it.

"You go to your friend's a lot." Dave commented.

"Actually..." Kurt mumbled, looking over at Dave. "I do live this way."

"You lied?" Dave asked, disbelief apparent in his voice. As if Kurt could never – would never – lie.

"Well, you're mean to me! I didn't want you to know where I live." Kurt reasoned. It sounded perfectly reasonable to him, but when he looked at the way Dave's face fell, he felt bad. He didn't _mean_ to hurt Dave, but he had just been looking out for himself. It wasn't his job to make Dave feel good, he told himself.

They walked in silence, neither one really sure what to say. Kurt wondered if it would always be this quiet on their walks home from school. A thought occurred to him. If Dave walked home this way from school, then he probably also walked this way _to_ school. Strange that he never seemed to see him on his way, but then, he tended to try to get to school a little later to avoid the other boys. He didn't say anything, but he found that he didn't have to. Dave had come to the same conclusion.

"Do you walk this way to school?" Dave asked.

"Yeah. Do you?"

"Uh-huh."

Silence again. This friend thing was going to be weird, Kurt decided. Really weird. They were approaching his house now, and he cursed the fact that he lived right off of the alley way. He stopped at the gate, toying with the lever. He wasn't really sure exactly why they had a fence. They didn't have a dog to keep in. Dave, realizing Kurt had stopped, stopped and looked up at Kurt's one story home with it's faded blue siding. His mom was always on his dad about repainting the house, but he always busy with the shop. Kurt wouldn't be too surprised if he came home to find his mom outside, repainting the house one day.

"Well, um, I'll see you tomorrow." Kurt said, fidgeting with the lever.

"Okay." Dave didn't say anything more, so Kurt slipped into the yard and started up to his house. He stopped and turned when Dave called out, "Hey Kurt?"

"Yeah?" Kurt asked.

"Want to walk to school together in the morning?" Dave asked, looking down at the ground.

"Sure." Kurt said, and Dave looked up at him, a smile on his face. Kurt found himself smiling back. It felt weird to be smiling at one of his bullies. He turned and started up the yard once again.

"Kurt?" Dave called again and Kurt looked back at Dave, not stopping.

"What?"

"What's your favorite color?" Dave asked.

"Blue! What's yours?" Kurt called, hand on the doorknob.

"Orange!" Dave grinned and took off running down the sidewalk. Kurt giggled a little and pushed the door open as he twisted the knob. His mom was at the window, and turned to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Who was your friend?" She asked.

"Oh, he's not my friend." Kurt answered quickly. "He's just a boy in my class. We walk the same way after school."

"Oh." Elizabeth said, taking Kurt's coat from him and hanging it up. "He lives nearby?"

"I think so. I don't really know where."

"What's his name?"

"Dave."

"Is he nice?" Kurt froze as he hung up his backpack. He could say that Dave was mean, but that would cause more problems for him, he was sure. Even so, he was realizing that Dave wasn't quite as mean as he had believed. When his friends weren't around, Dave was actually kind of nice. Maybe someday he and Dave would be real friends.

"Yeah, he's nice." Kurt answered, smiling.

* * *

Kurt and Dave continued this strange friendship of theirs throughout the year. They walked together to and from school, but while they were at school, Dave maintained his status with his other friends by helping them tear Kurt down. Dave often told Kurt during their walks that he never really meant anything that he said, but he could see that Kurt didn't really take it to heart. Everything that the boys said got to Kurt, and that bothered Dave. He didn't see what he could do to help Kurt, though. There was nothing he _could_ do.

He didn't really spend any time with Kurt outside of their walks to and from school. It seemed almost forbidden, given the nature of their relationship. And going to the park or riding bikes with Kurt was almost guaranteeing getting shunned by his friends. He had no doubt that one of them might see and tell the others. So Kurt was his secret, but he also considered Kurt one of his best friends, even if they really only spent twenty minutes a day together.

Every day, when Dave left Kurt at his house, Dave would ask a question about Kurt to get some sort of detail that he hadn't known before. So far, he knew that Kurt's favorite color was blue, favorite movie was Casper, favorite food was cheese pizza, loved listening to his mom's music, and he was very particular about his clothes. In return, Kurt knew that Dave's favorite color was orange, favorite movie was Jumanji, favorite food was nachos, mostly listened to the music on the radio, and his favorite shoes were his light up sneakers. There was so much more that Dave had learned about Kurt, not just through the question game they seemed to be playing, but by paying attention to Kurt. At school, when they walked, the things Kurt talked about. He learned that Kurt had an affinity for history, and Kurt was actually kind of athletic, but wasn't a show-off about it.

"Hi honey! Hi there, Dave!" Kurt's mom called from the front door as the boys approached the gate one day. Dave's eyes widened in surprise, but he said hello anyway. He hadn't yet met Kurt's mom all of this time, or even seen her, but she was really pretty. From this distance, anyway.

"Hi mom!" Kurt called before turning back to Dave. "See you tomorrow?"

Kurt's mom was crossing the yard, heading towards them now. "Maybe you'd like to come in and play with Kurt for a while?"

"Um," Dave wasn't sure what to say as he looked between Kurt and Kurt's mom. Hey, their eyes looked the same. Actually, Kurt looked a lot like his mom. Well, not now, because while she was smiling and looked sweet, Kurt looked scared. "I-I'd have to ask my mom."

By Kurt's widened eyes, Dave could tell that Kurt was surprised. Did he want to play with Dave or didn't he? Dave wasn't sure.

"Of course. Come back and let us know, alright?" Kurt's mom said, pulling Kurt close to her side and gently rubbing his arm. Man, they really looked a lot alike. He had her eyes, her nose, and the little freckles across his nose like she did. She wasn't tall, either, and rather skinny. He'd never seen Kurt's dad, but he would guess that Kurt didn't look too much like his dad.

"Uh-huh." Dave nodded. He took off as they started for the house. Kurt's mom just invited him to play with Kurt. At Kurt's house. He would be playing with Kurt. For the first time ever. What would they do? Would they watch a movie? Would they play soldiers? No, he couldn't see Kurt playing soldiers. He burst through his front door, panting for breath as he slammed it shut behind him, dropping his backpack onto the floor and running through the house. She was never in the same place, it seemed.

"Mom!" He said, as he found her in the laundry room. She looked up at him from the towel she was folding, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "Can I go to my friend's house?"

"Be back by dark." Dave didn't need any more of answer than that before he was out the door and racing back over to Kurt's house. He couldn't believe that he was going to play at Kurt Hummel's house. They were friends, sure, but they'd never done this before. This was the very first time he'd ever get to go in Kurt's house. He was thrilled, and maybe a little worried. What if Kurt's parents didn't like him? What if Kurt didn't really even want to play with Dave?

He knocked on the door, still trying to catch his breath. Kurt answered, tugging the door open and stepping back to let Dave in as he asked, "That was so fast! Did you run all that way?"

"Uh-huh." Dave nodded, gasping. Elizabeth came into the room, wiping her hands on a dishtowel.

"I've got snacks and drinks in here, boys. Come on."

"C'mon!" Kurt said, grabbing Dave's arm and dragging him into the kitchen. Dave was rather surprised, considering they usually avoided any sort of physical contact. He liked it, all the same. He was, quite literally, getting closer to Kurt.

The two of them munched on chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk in the kitchen,while Elizabeth asked Dave questions to try and get to know him. Dave was rather quiet, for the most part, but Elizabeth made him feel easy, and before he knew it, he was talking a mile a minute, laughing and giggling with Kurt and Elizabeth. Kurt seemed to have a close relationship with his mother, something Dave lacked with his own. It wasn't that he didn't love her, but she just always seemed more occupied with other things.

"So what are you boys going to do today?" Elizabeth asked, resting her chin on her hand.

"Can we play outside?" Kurt pleaded.

"Sure. Just make sure you have something warm on. It's getting pretty cold out there. I'll call you in." Elizabeth told him, ruffling his hair. He giggled as he straightened it out, getting to his feet.

Kurt tugged Dave along, and Dave got the feeling that Kurt was probably a little bossy, but it didn't bother him one bit. He found that he was usually pretty good at doing what others told him. Dave pulled on his coat as Kurt wrapped himself in a scarf. Elizabeth came in after them, taking Kurt's scarf and wrapping it so that it completely covered his face. He could hear Kurt's muffled giggle, and it made him feel all warm. He so rarely heard Kurt giggle like that. Kurt tugged the scarf down over his face, grinning up at Elizabeth as she kissed his forehead. Dave felt a pang of jealousy but suppressed it. He could have that with his mother if he tried.

Kurt had a swing and a sandbox in his backyard, as well as a treehouse. They decided to skip the sandbox, not wanting to get sand all through their clothes. Kurt decided to show Dave his treehouse,which Dave was genuinely interested in. He had one of his own, something that had taken a long time, because his dad worked so much. Still, he found that he liked Kurt's treehouse as well. It was very simple, and it didn't seem to house much of anything. A sleeping bag and a box of toys. Dave searched through the toys, pulling out a couple of plastic swords.

"Wanna play?" He asked Kurt, holding a sword out.

"Sure," Kurt said, grinning. He dug through the box, tugging out a couple more items. "You need these."

He handed Dave an eyepatch, and Dave couldn't help but giggle. He had gone as a pirate for Halloween the year before, and he wondered if Kurt had ever gone as a pirate. He must have, if he had these things laying around. Or maybe he just really liked pirates. He put the eyepatch on and looked at Kurt. Kurt grinned and placed a pirate hat on top of his head.

"Now all you need is a peg leg, a crutch, and a parrot and you could be Long John Silver. Except it was usually a gun for him." Kurt said, giggling. Dave wasn't sure why it surprised him so much that Kurt knew who Long John Silver was. The surprise must have shown on his face, because Kurt quickly explained. "My dad reads me stories before bed. Treasure Island is one of my favorites."

"So if I'm Long John Silver, does that make you Jim?" Dave asked.

"Hmm. We have to be on opposite sides or else this is no fun. So, yes. I'm Jim." Kurt answered. Dave grinned, taking a defensive stance as he wielded his sword. Kurt grinned as he backed away from Dave, holding his sword out as to block Dave's sudden thrust. Dave wondered if Kurt ever played pirates with anyone else. He had never met any girls who were interested in pirates, and he knew that Kurt didn't have many boy friends, so it only seemed logical that he hadn't. Perhaps his parents?

He did know one thing, though. If Kurt's squeals and giggles were any indication, he was having a good deal of fun playing with Dave. If you had asked Dave at the beginning of the year whether or not he'd ever play with the scrawny boy with the bright blue-green eyes, he'd have probably said no. But he couldn't really imagine not being friends with Kurt now, even if their friendship was rather limited. He liked Kurt a lot, and as long as Kurt was okay with keeping their friendship a secret, then he wanted to be friends with Kurt.

The sky was beginning to grow dark by the time Elizabeth called the boys in, and Dave suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be home before it got dark. All the same, he couldn't say no when Elizabeth offered the both of them hot chocolate to warm them up after playing in the cold for so long. Kurt talked excitedly about how they had played pirates, Dave as Long John and he as Jim Hawkins. Elizabeth had just giggled and ruffled their hair. Dave grinned into his mug of hot chocolate, trying not to make it so apparent that he really liked being treated so kindly by someone he barely knew.

Realizing that it was only growing darker, Dave reluctantly gulped down the rest of his hot chocolate and pulled on his coat once again. Kurt walked with Dave to the door, stepping outside without a jacket on. Dave frowned and said, "You're gonna freeze."

"Nuh uh."

"Whatever."

"Today was fun."

"Uh-huh." Dave nodded, smiling at Kurt. He didn't care what anyone else said; Kurt Hummel was fun to play with. And he _didn't_ just like girl stuff, like everybody thought. Dave was glad to find that they at least had a little in common.

"You wanna come over again sometime?" Kurt asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. He didn't really have many friends, did he? The thought made Dave sad. If people would just take the time to get to know Kurt a little bit, they'd see how cool he was.

"Sure." Dave said, grinning. Kurt's face lit up, as though he really didn't believe that Dave would want to.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Kurt!" Dave said, running through Kurt's yard for home. Dave knew that he was probably going to get in a bit of trouble because the streetlights were already on, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. He had so much fun with Kurt and staying a little longer for the hot chocolate had just made the day even more awesome. He was going to have to spend more time with Kurt.

* * *

Dave did end up spending more time with Kurt outside of school. He went over to Kurt's house at least three times a week. Seeing Dave standing at his front door never failed to make Kurt smile. Kurt still didn't have much in the way of friends, but spending time with Dave made him feel less lonely. If he really had to be honest, he'd have to say that Dave was his best friend. It felt weird to call Dave his best friend. It was like they both led double lives. At school, they were enemies. Dave was the bully, Kurt was the victim. Outside of school, they were close friends, spending a great amount of time together. Dave and Kurt's parents had even gotten together a couple of times, seeing as their boys were spending so much time together.

The biggest problem that they had faced all year was in February, when it came time for Dave to have a birthday party. Kurt knew that he wouldn't be invited, but it still stung when he overheard other kids talking about going to Dave's. They'd fought for a few days about it, and then Kurt had given Dave the silent treatment. The worst part for Kurt was that he couldn't even explain to his mother _why_ he hadn't been invited. He had just told her that he and Dave weren't friends anymore and he wasn't going.

Still, he bought Dave a birthday present and gave it to him when Dave came over the following week. A silly one, but Dave had loved it anyway. Or had seemed to. It was a little stuffed parrot, which Dave had immediately named "Captain Flint", just as Kurt had suspected he would. Dave had told him that of all the presents he got, Kurt's was the best. Kurt couldn't stop grinning after that.

When Kurt's birthday came about in the following April, he had decided that he really only wanted to spend it with his parents and Dave. He wasn't really good friends with the other kids, so it would just feel kind of awkward having them all over for his birthday. Instead, he opted to have the three people closest to him there. He decided to have the birthday party on the weekend, so that Dave could sleep over. It was a big deal for the both of them because even though they'd been spending so much time together, this would be the first time they'd ever had a sleepover together.

Kurt was beyond excited when that Friday finally rolled around. He didn't really have activities planned, because he and Dave usually just did whatever they felt like doing. His mom had even given him permission to stay up all night watching movies with Dave, if he wanted. She'd bought soda and popcorn, and she had even made some snacks for the occasion. That wasn't even counting the cake and ice cream that they'd all have earlier that evening.

Dave had brought his sleeping bag along with him, though both doubted that he'd use it. He was pretty sure that the two of them would pass out in his bed while watching Power Rangers or something. Still, it didn't hurt to have it just in case. Some boys didn't like sharing a bed, but Kurt was pretty sure he and Dave wouldn't really have a problem with it. They were just boys after all.

Kurt rushed to the door as soon as he heard the knock, hardly able to keep himself from bouncing around. His first sleepover! Burt had just grinned and rolled his eyes as he came up behind Kurt, inviting Dave inside. Dave had met Burt back in the winter, around Christmas when he had taken Kurt and Dave sledding. Kurt remembered Dave whispering to him that his dad was scary-looking. Kurt had only giggled, rolling his eyes. He'd never really thought his dad was scary-looking. He was jut kind of a big teddy bear, if anything.

"Kurt, take Dave's stuff back to your room, okay?" Burt said, pulling Dave toward the kitchen. Kurt nodded, picking up Dave's stuff and toting it back to his room. He set the bag down on his bed, smiling to himself. He actually had a friend over for his birthday. He had never realized just how lonely he was until he'd gotten into school. Even more so when he started spending time with Dave. He was kind of hungry for Dave's friendship, even if he had been so cautious in building it up. He had good reason to be hesitant, in his opinion.

Kurt headed back into the living room, and then remembered seeing his dad and Dave go back into the kitchen. In the kitchen, he just found his mom getting the cake out. Where had those two gone? He asked, "Where's dad and Dave?"

"Oh, out in the garage, I think." His mother said, waving a hand. Kurt's brows furrowed in confusion, but he turned and left the room, heading out into the garage. He gasped, freezing with his hand still on the doorknob.

"You got me a new bike!" He squealed as ran forward, gripping one of the handles. His mother chuckled from behind him, and Burt just laughed has he ruffled Kurt's hair. Kurt straightened his hair, looking over at Dave, who was just grinning. Dave had gotten a new bike for his birthday as well, and he wondered if maybe their parents had planned it.

"You like it, kid?" Burt asked.

"Yes! It's perfect!" Kurt cried, climbing onto the seat and testing it out. He was definitely going to have to convince Dave to go on a bike ride soon, though the excited look on Dave's face said that he wouldn't have much convincing to do.

"Your dad wanted to get you a red one, but I made him find a blue one." Elizabeth said from the doorway. Kurt grinned up at his mother, grateful. If it weren't for her, his dad would _never_ know what to get him.

"Thanks dad." Kurt said, climbing off of his bike and wrapping his arms around his dad. Then he went to his mother, wrapping his arms around her tighter as he said, "Thanks mom." He looked up at her, resting his chin on her stomach as she smiled down at him, gently stroking her hair.

"Only the best for our little boy." His mom told him, and he gave her a squeeze before turning back to face his dad and Dave.

"Who's ready for cake?" Burt asked, rubbing his hands together. Dave and Kurt both gave excited yells, and Elizabeth laughed softly. Burt smiled widely at Elizabeth, his eyes sparkling with both laughter and love. She ushered the boys inside and gave Burt a kiss on the cheek before closing the door behind him. She followed the boys into the kitchen and found them standing over the cake, giggling about the icing spiderwebs. Kurt was in a bit of a Spiderman phase, and they were having one of their friendly arguments over whether or not Spiderman was better than Batman. Batman was Dave's favorite superhero.

"Alright boys," Elizabeth said, leaning over them to place the candles on the cake while Burt hunted in one of the drawers for a lighter.

"Aha! Can't hide from me..." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as the boys broke out into laughter. They found it funny whenever Burt talked to inanimate objects, which he assured they would probably do as well someday. Kurt often commented that he talked to his Playstation 2 when it wasn't working right for him. Elizabeth liked to say that he was going to grow up to be as strange as his father. Kurt didn't mind that. He loved his dad.

Kurt bounced on his heels as Burt lit the candles and Elizabeth shut off the kitchen lights. Dave slung an arm around Kurt's shoulders as he sang Happy Birthday to him, and Kurt could feel his mother's hand gently stroking his hair. As Kurt glanced around the kitchen at the people singing to him, Kurt felt like everything was right. Everything was perfect. He didn't hesitate as the song ended and it was time for him to make a wish. The wish was already there, something he didn't even think about. He wished that he and Dave would be best friends forever.

Later in the evening, after much sugar, soda, and jumping on furniture around the house as they pretended the floor was lava, Kurt and Dave were nestled under the covers on Kurt's bed, watching The Flinstones. They hadn't really wanted to watch any more movies, and when they'd turned to one of the cartoon channels, they found The Flinstones on. They were both fighting sleep, desperately trying to keep their drooping eyelids open. Neither of them wanted the night to end. Neither wanted to fall asleep.

"Hey Kurt?" Dave said quietly.

"Hmm?" Kurt asked sleepily, forcing his eyes open again.

"What did you wish for?" Dave asked. When Kurt didn't answer right away, he knew that Dave probaby thought he fell asleep. He wasn't sure if he should tell Dave. Firstly, telling wishes meant they wouldn't come true. Secondly, he didn't know if Dave would feel the same way about the wish as he did.

"Don't you know you're not supposed to tell or it won't come true?" Kurt finally answered.

"I don't believe in that stuff." Dave told him, turning on his side to face Kurt. Kurt raised an eyebrow and turned on his side so that he and Dave were almost nose to nose.

"Then why are you asking me what I wished for?" Kurt asked.

"I just wanna know." Dave answered, yawning.

"I wished that we would be friends forever." Kurt said, and Dave smiled sleepily. Kurt smiled back, taking Dave's reaction as a good thing. He hadn't expected Dave to shove him out of the bed and tell him to go away or anything. It wasn't like he could anyway, because Kurt was sleeping on the inside and there was a wall behind him.

"I hope we are." Dave said after a while. Kurt was half-asleep by that time, so he didn't bother opening his eyes, but he did smile. Maybe they would be.

* * *

The last couple of months of school went by more quickly than the boys wanted it to, and their kindergarten graduation was upon them in no time. They both felt relieved to know that they were continuing on to the first grade. They didn't yet know if they would be in the same class next year, but they'd find out sometime at the end of the summer. Neither of them were too worried about school, though.

Summer was finally here, which meant longer days and no school nights. It meant swimming trunks and sprinklers and water guns. It meant bike rides and playing at the park. Barbecues and roasting marshmallows. Camping with their parents. Sleeping in the treehouse. Playing on Dave's trampoline.

Summer was their favorite, and for most of it, they were nearly inseparable. Even when Dave's parents decided to take a vacation up to the dunes in Lake Michigan, Kurt was allowed to come along, and when Kurt's parents decided to take him to King's Island, they let Dave come along, figuring it might be more fun for him if he had a friend along. The best part about summer was that they didn't have to pretend to be enemies at school. There was less of a strain on their friendship, less fights, and they both were considerably happier. While they were looking forward to being first graders, they thoroughly enjoyed their summer.

Summer was their time.


	2. First Grade

As quick as it came, the summer was gone.

The boys had learned that they would be in the same first grade class, under the care of Ms. Whitacre. Neither knew much about her, honestly, but they'd heard that she could be kind of strict. They were somewhat excited to be in the same class, but it also made things a little harder for them, because Dave would be expected to be cruel towards him all day, everyday. That is, until they found themselves in Mrs. Whitacre's class, without the rest of Dave's friends. Even better, they had been seated in alphabetical order and found themselves sitting next to each other.

"Does this mean we get to talk to each other?" Kurt whispered to Dave. Even though class hadn't yet started, he was trying to be careful about Dave's reputation. Dave would lose his friends if they thought he was talking to Kurt, and Kurt didn't want that to happen.

"I think so." Dave said, shrugging as he glanced around the room. He was sure that Kurt's grin mirrored his own. Maybe this year wouldn't be nearly as hard as they had thought.

While their relationship at school was a little freer than it had been the previous year, they still had a bit of a strain when it came to the cafeteria at lunch time and playing outside at recess. They could tell that their teacher was incredibly confused about the whole thing, because while she often had to tell them to be quiet during class, they didn't interact much during lunch or recess. And if they did, Dave was mean to Kurt.

It wasn't the perfect friendship, but it worked for the two of them. Kurt had a quick temper that matched Dave's, but they handled it in different ways. Kurt was more passive aggressive, while Dave flung hurtful words and sometimes hit things. He kept good on his promise to never hit Kurt, though sometimes Kurt was pretty sure that he deserved to be hit.

Their favorite time of the day was, oddly enough, quiet time. After recess, the teacher would turn off the lights, play some classical music, and make them put their heads down for nearly ten minutes. It was just after recess, and Kurt was usually a little agitated with Dave. As soon as their heads were down and the music was playing, Kurt always heard a soft, "I'm sorry." He usually smiled into his arms and pressed his shoulder against Dave's to say that he was forgiven.

It had never really occurred to Kurt or Dave that they might be jeopardizing Dave's friendships by not being discreet in their own class, seeing as many of the girls from their kindergarten class were also in their first grade class. He knew that he was supposed to be keeping it all a secret, but when his friend Hannah approached him and asked, "Are you friends with Dave?" the only answer he could come up with was yes. He didn't really know how to explain it, and he knew she saw what was going on at lunch and recess. They all did. How did he explain that in here, he was Dave's friend and out there, Dave was his bully?

No one ever told, though. Kurt felt like it was some secret that no one outside of his class knew. He was amazed by the class's ability to keep hush about it, but then maybe it wasn't a big gossip topic. At least, he never really overheard anyone talking about it. He did know that some of the girls completely disapproved, but he simply told them that it was his friendship and it was none of their business. He was making more friends this year, still all girls. Kurt thought it would be nice to have another guy friend, but at the same time, it would feel odd to have a guy friend that wasn't Dave.

"Kurt, please settle down." Ms. Whitacre said to the antsy Kurt.

Kurt did his best to stand still and he heard Dave, who was in line behind him, whisper, "C'mon Kurt. We're almost there."

"How do you know?" Kurt whispered back, not daring to look back at Dave.

"'Cos I remember from when we went past it that one time we had to take that note to Mr. Burrous." Dave answered.

Kurt scrunched his face, trying to remember the way to Mr. Burrous's room. Mr. Burrous was a fifth grade teacher, and so his room was across the school. Past both of the cafeterias and almost straight through the hall.

"It wasn't by his room." Kurt mumbled.

"No. It was in that other hall by the art room."

"I don't remember." Kurt sighed.

"Kurt, David. You're holding up the class. If you don't stop the talking, I'll send you back to the class room and you won't get to go to music."

Kurt and Dave both straightened up quickly, pressing their lips tightly together and looking straight ahead. Satisfied, Ms. Whitacre allowed the class to move forward. Dave wasn't all that excited over the idea of going to music class to begin with, but he knew that Kurt was overly excited about. Kurt was all about the music, he'd discovered. He was already taking piano lessons, and Dave sometimes liked to listen to him play. When the teacher had announced that they'd be going to music class on Thursday, Kurt hadn't been able to shut up about. it. Dave wasn't going to ruin this for him now.

Ms. Whitacre allowed the girl's line to go in first, the girls filling up the first and half of the second row of the chairs. She allowed the boys to enter then, and after the seats in the second row were filled, Kurt, Dave, and the rest of the boys headed for the third row. Ms. Whitacre stopped them, clucking her tongue and telling the music teacher that if she wanted to keep her wits about her, she wouldn't let Kurt and Dave sit together. A couple of girls in the front row giggled, and Dave threw an angry look in their direction, while Kurt stared up at the music teacher with a pleading look. She considered the two for a moment before saying, "We'll let them this time and see how it goes. If they misbehave, I'll separate them."

With that, Ms. Whitacre left the room and Kurt and Dave took their seats next to each other on the top step. The teacher started off the lesson by telling them that she was Mrs. Watkins. She loved music, loved kids, and had a daughter in opera. Kurt beamed at the news, and Dave shook his head while sticking out his tongue in disgust. Who would like opera music?

Kurt and Dave tried their best not to talk to each other during the lesson, but it was proving impossible, as Dave had noticed that Hannah kept staring at Kurt. He gestured for her to turn around and look forward, but she just shook her head and stuck her tongue out at him. Kurt clearly didn't notice any of it, as he was so engrossed in what the teacher was saying. Dave nudged Kurt and Kurt tried to wave him away, shaking his head. Dave rolled his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Is there a problem, David?" Mrs. Watkins asked, stopping in the middle of her lesson to look at him. She didn't look upset, just amused.

"Well..." Dave said, looking over at Hannah. The entire class was staring at him, and if he had wanted Kurt's attention, he definitely had it now. He felt silly as he said, "Hannah won't stop staring at Kurt."

"Nuh uh!" Hannah yelled, her face turning bright red, and Dave could swear he saw Mrs. Watkins lips twitch. "You're a liar, Dave!"

Dave glanced sideways at Kurt, who was staring at Hannah now. She turned forward, trying to hide her face from the rest of the class. Dave knew that Kurt believed him, and he wondered what Kurt was thinking.

"You must have been looking her way to see her staring at Kurt." Mrs. Watkins pointed out and it was Dave's turn to be embarrassed.

"I was looking out the window!" Dave said, the heat creeping into his cheeks. He was _not_ staring at Hannah Kelley. Kurt was looking at him now, his lips pressed tightly together. Dave had no idea what that meant. Some of their classmates were giggling and Dave wanted to groan as he realized they were all going to think that he liked Hannah now. He put his head down.

"Well, class," Mrs. Watkins smiled. "I would appreciate it if you would all face forward and pat attention to _me_."

That was the end of that. Hannah avoided looking over in Kurt's direction, not that Dave knew because he was avoiding looking in her direction as well. When they were released from class, it was lunch time, so Kurt and Dave really didn't have much time to chat. However, the buzz going around the lunch room was that a new love triangle had formed between Kurt, Dave, and Hannah. Kurt avoided looking over in Dave's direction from his seat with the girls from his class.

At recess, Dave was approached by a girl in the other first grade class. Santana, wasn't it? She was a little Latina girl with long glossy black hair that stretched down to the middle of her back. Dave found this impressive, as it took his hair a while to grow enough to cover the top of his ears. Did girls hair grow faster, he wondered. He hardly heard a word she said until she asked, "Aren't you mad at Kurt for taking your girl?"

"Who cares about that little creep?" One of Dave's buddies said from behind him.

"Yeah, who cares." Dave echoed his friend.

"But I thought you guys were friends." Santana persisted.

"Yeah right," Dave's friend snorted. "Who would be friends with that little faggot besides _girls_?"

Dave curled his hands into fists, resisting the urge to turn and punch his friend in the face. He didn't know what a faggot was, but it sounded bad and he didn't like hearing his best friend called something like that. Santana stared open-mouthed at the other boy, and then all of a sudden, there was someone shouting, "Eric said a bad word!"

The teacher came over, questioning the trio before dragging the three of them off to the principal's office. Dave didn't even understand why he had to go along because he didn't even say the word, and if he wouldn't have gotten in trouble for it, he would have punched Eric right in the face because not only did he call his friend a really bad name, he'd gotten him into a whole bunch of trouble. Enough trouble that his father had been called in from work, and his dad wasn't going to like this one bit. He sat in the main office next to Santana, just outside the principal's office while Eric was inside with the principal.

"I thought you guys were friends. That's what all the girls from your class said." Santana said, swinging her legs.

"Well, they were wrong." Dave frowned, looking the other way. Santana didn't say anything else after that, fixing her attention on the receptionist in the office. Dave looked around the main office, trying to find something to entertain himself as he waited. He didn't have to wait long before his father was coming into the office, checking himself in and taking a seat next to Dave. He didn't say anything to Dave, only sat there next to him. Dave didn't like that. He wished his father would say something.

The door to the principal's office opened and Eric and his father came out, taking seats on the other side of the room. Dave went inside, surprised to find both Kurt and Burt also sitting in the office. Burt and his dad nodded, acknowledging each other as they took their seats at the request of the principal. Dave nervously glanced at Kurt, finding that Kurt wasn't looking at him, but at his hands in his lap.

"Sorry to call you in, Mr. Karofsky. We're trying to clear up something with the children. Today at recess, either Eric King or your son called Kurt a terrible name." Mrs. Abbott said, looking at Dave's father.

"What was the name?" Dave's father asked.

"Faggot." Mrs. Abbot said, clearing her throat and shifting in her seat. Paul's head snapped down to look at Dave, his eyebrows shooting up. "Do you know where he might have heard this word?"

"N-no." Paul said, shocked. "I've never used that word, and I can assure you that my wife never has, either. Do you even know what that word means?" He asked, looking down at Dave. Dave shook his head, not looking at his father.

"Eric says that you said it." Kurt said not looking at Dave, his voice small. Dave was pretty sure Kurt didn't know what the word meant either, but if it was enough to get sent to the principal's office over, it was definitely bad.

"I didn't!" Dave said, looking at Kurt in frustration. "_He_ said it! Ask Santana or Rachel! They heard!"

"There were other people around?" Paul asked, looking at Dave.

"Yeah. Jimmy and Santana and that annoying Rachel girl." Dave answered, looking at the principal.

"Santana is outside the office now, so we can ask her in a moment. But you say that Eric said it and not you?" Mrs. Abbott asked.

"Yes!" Dave said, his voice rising.

"Dave." Paul said, a warning tone in his voice. Dave immediately clamped his mouth shut.

The four of them were sent out of the office, and they took the seats that Santana and her father had previously occupied. Eric sat across the room with his father, staring at Dave. Dave was too angry to look over at him, but he also refused to say much to Kurt or Burt. He hardly spoke to his own father. It was fine, seeing as Burt and Paul did enough talking for the four of them. Eventually Rachel and Jimmy were called in with Santana, and it seemed like hours before they were all released and the boys and their fathers were called in.

"Well," Mrs. Abbott began, once they were all seated. "Eric and Jimmy have both said that David was the one to say the word, while Rachel, Santana, and Dave all say that it was Eric. Frankly, I've seen the way that Dave behaves in class, and I don't believe that he would call Kurt something like that. So, I'm going to have to believe that it was Eric. For this, you will have lunch detention with me for all of next week."

"Will that be all?" Eric's father asked, and when Mrs. Abbott nodded, they all stood at once, looking around at each other. Eric and his father left first, hurrying from the room. Burt nodded at the principal, giving her a quick thank you as he led Kurt out of the room. Dave followed them, Paul right behind him. School was set to release in just an hour, so both Burt and Paul decided to pull the boys out for the rest of the day and the four of them went to grab something to eat.

As they were sitting at a table in Dairy Queen, Dave was working up the courage to ask his father what the word meant. Burt and Paul were talking about some sports game while Dave and Kurt sat silently eating their ice cream. Kurt still hadn't said anything to Dave, and Dave worried that Kurt was mad at him. He wished he could read Kurt's mind.

"Dad?" Kurt finally asked, looking up at his dad. Burt and Paul both stopped talking, turning their attention to Kurt.

"Yeah, son?" Burt asked.

"What's a..." Kurt hesitated, swallowing hard before he finished the sentence. "Faggot?"

Burt looked at Paul, and the two of them stared at each other for a long moment. Neither of them really knew how to answer the question, and Burt felt a little guilty thinking about it because he remembered using the word when he was younger. He could tell from the look on Paul's face that he felt the same. Burt slid his chair out a little so that he could pull Kurt into his lap.

"Well." Burt sighed, searching for the right words. "It's a mean word that mean people use for boys who 'like' like other boys."

"But I don't like other boys." Kurt protested.

"That might be so, Kurt," Paul said, wrapping his arm around Dave who had leaned into his father. "But sometimes they use it to insult boys who are a little girly."

Kurt looked from Paul to Burt for confirmation, and his father looked a little sad as he nodded in agreement. Kurt looked down at his hands, his brows furrowing as he thought about it. Dave was angry again, his teeth clenched as he found himself wishing that he really had punched Eric while they were outside today.

"But David," Paul said, looking down at his son. "I don't _ever_ want to hear that word again, and I don't think that you should be playing with those boys anymore, either."

Dave felt mixed emotions as he nodded and looked down at his hands. Right now, he really didn't want to be around those boys anyway. But would the rest of the boys still want to hang out with him if he couldn't be around those two? He hoped he wouldn't lose _all_ of his friends just because of this. But he also felt a kind of weight lifted as he realized that he had a legitimate reason to not be around them. He could simply tell them that he wasn't allowed and that would be it. In their world, parent word was law. If your parents said you couldn't play with someone, that was it. You didn't question it and you definitely didn't go against it or you ran the risk of being grounded from playing with anyone at all, and no one wanted that.

After they were finished eating, Dave felt a wave of relief as Kurt asked his father if Dave could come over and play. He had really been thinking that Kurt was mad at him, but if Kurt was wanting him to come over and play, then he couldn't be, could he? Paul nodded and told Dave to be home by dark. Dave assured him he would and waved goodbye as he climbed into the passenger seat of Burt's truck. Kurt sat between them, keeping as quiet as he had been for most of the day. When they got to Kurt's house, the pair of them went into the backyard and climbed into the treehouse as Burt explained to Elizabeth what the meeting had been all about.

"Why won't you say nothing?" Dave asked Kurt, finally prodding.

"Do you think I'm a... that word?" Kurt asked uncomfortably. Dave blinked, not really believing that Kurt was seriously asking him this. He might have said some mean things about Kurt over the last year, but he'd never meant any of them. Dave hadn't even called him that name. Why was he being asked this?

"No!" Dave said, incredulous.

"But I like girly things." Kurt pointed out.

"But Eric was just being mean." Dave said, shaking his head.

"So you like playing with me?" Kurt asked, tracing the boards in the floor.

"Yeah. You're my best friend." Dave told him.

"I am?" Kurt asked, snapping his head up to look Dave in the eyes. Dave cocked his head, confused at Kurt's reaction. As he thought about it, he realized he'd never called Kurt his best friend before, but he couldn't deny it either. Kurt _was_ his best friend, and Kurt should know that. He spent more time with Kurt than anyone else.

"Duh." Dave said, rolling his eyes as he grinned. A slow smile spread across Kurt's face, and he looked back down, picking up one of his little toy soldiers and toying with it. Having made Kurt smile, Dave, for the first time all day, actually felt good about something.

Things were considerably easier for Dave once he told Eric and Jimmy that he wasn't allowed to hang out with them. For Kurt, however, things had only gotten worse. Eric and Jimmy blamed him for the loss of their friend, and so the bullying grew worse. Dave didn't even have much to do with it anymore, but he didn't really get involved, either. Not that Kurt expected him to. Even if he wasn't friends with Eric or Jimmy anymore, there were still a few other of his friends that wouldn't like him being friends with Kurt.

So while Kurt spent a lot of time with Dave, he worked to build up his other friendships with girls as well. He had even started playing with that Santana girl from the other first grade class, though Kurt thought she could be a little bossy. Well, more than a little. She was a lot bossy. Both she and Kurt didn't really like each other all that much, but they had a mutual friend, Brittany. Brittany and Santana were pretty much inseparable, so if he wanted to be friends with Brittany, he had to get along with Santana as well. Two for one kinda deal, even if you really didn't want the second one.

Of course, the whole Hannah ordeal hadn't gone away like he'd thought it would. His dad had said if he didn't like this girl, just tell her so. So he had done that, but Hannah was so insistent on becoming his girlfriend. He'd even been trying to steer her towards Dave, because he kind of thought Dave liked her a little bit, but she wouldn't budge. She was constantly bugging him during recess. She actually kind of made the bullying worse, because she was always trying to stick up for him when Eric and Jimmy started, and they would then continue to ridicule him for having his girlfriend fight his battles for him. He was getting so sick of it. He hated school, even if he did get to be in class with Dave.

Even at home, he couldn't catch a break. Ever since the bullying thing had come to light, his parents were always asking him whether or not he had trouble at school that day. He _always _had trouble at school, but there was no way he was telling either of them that. He didn't want to cause any more problems than he already had, and bringing his parents into it was sure to make the bullying worse. He'd found that out a long time ago, when he'd tried to tell a teacher. So for now, he was just stuck here.

With winter came indoor recesses, and while some teachers chose to let their kids play together in one classroom, Ms. Whitacre seemed to prefer to have her kids just play in her room. While it was a little irritating to some students who had friends in other classes, Kurt and Dave enjoyed it because they could play together without any real problems. Some days they liked to play checkers. Sometimes they sat and read something together. On occasion, Kurt brought his soldiers from home and hid them in his desk until recess. Then, of course, there were the days when they played house with some of the other kids.

They never seemed to play the same role twice in one week, always trying to come up with some different story. Hannah and Brittany were frequent players in their games, and Hannah always did whatever she could to play opposite Kurt. Especially if Kurt happened to be playing the dad that day. Brittany, bless her soul, always managed to snag that part, and Hannah just ended up being a daughter or something. Until Brittany ended up being out sick, and Hannah ended up playing the mother. She was insufferable and bossy, and there were several times Kurt just wanted to smack her, but his dad taught him better than that.

"Kurt." She said in a harsh whisper, looking nervously at their audience. Kurt just raised an eyebrow, and she gave a small smile before saying, "The dad always kisses the mom goodbye before he goes to work."

Kurt gave a small squeak, looking nervously at the rest of the kids. He looked hopeful at Dave who could only shrug. They both knew that it was true. They'd seen their mothers kiss their fathers before they headed off to work. But Kurt did _not_ want to kiss Hannah. Not here, not now, and besides, he'd never even kissed anyone before, so why should his first one be a girl he didn't even like?

"No." Kurt said flatly, before saying brightly, "See you after work!" He skipped off to a desk, pretending to open up a briefcase and starting paperwork. Hannah only scowled at him as their audience giggled.

"That's not fair!" She called after him. Kurt looked up at her in surprise. This was clearly not part of the game. He frowned at her as she marched over to him with her hands on her hips. "Mommies and daddies kiss before they go to work, and you're going to kiss me, Kurt Hummel!"

"I am not!" Kurt said, standing up. He glared at the giggling audience, which just made them giggle even more, before he turned his gaze back to Hannah. "I don't _want_ to kiss you, Hannah." The group gasped then, obviously surprised by this revelation.

"Well you have to! It's part of the game!" Hannah pushed.

"I can't." Kurt said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why not?" Someone in the audience asked, and Kurt frowned, looking to Dave for help. Following his gaze, the rest of the group looked expectantly at Dave.

"Because he already has a girlfriend." Dave said, shrugging. Another gasp from the group, and Hannah was standing there gaping at him with her mouth hanging open.

"Who?" The group asked.

"Brittany." Dave answered, and the rest of the group began looking around for her. Kurt couldn't thank Dave enough. They'd probably have to explain all of this to Brittany tomorrow, but at least they could say this now so he didn't have to kiss Hannah.

"But I thought..." Hannah nearly whined. She looked between Kurt and Dave before turning back to Kurt with tears in her eyes, yelling, "I hate you Kurt Hummel!" She took off to the little library in the corner and hid behind one of the bookshelves. A couple of girls threw dirty looks at Kurt before following her, and the rest of the group erupted into giggles. Dave came over to Kurt, grinning, and Kurt just giggled and thanked Dave.

"I should have known it was you two." came a sigh from behind the boys. They both turned and looked up to see Ms. Whitacre standing there, looking down at them. "Go flip your cards." Knowing that it was pointless to argue, the two of them went to the back of their classroom and flipped their cards. Hannah peered out from behind a bookcase and stuck out her tongue at the both of them before slipping behind it again.

At dinner that night, Elizabeth brought Kurt's note from his teacher about having his card flipped. Kurt sank down in his chair, and Dave had to cover his mouth to keep from giggling. Burt raised an eyebrow at Kurt after reading over it. "So what'd you do to get your... card flipped?" Burt asked, looking back at the note. "What does that even mean?" He asked, shaking his head at Elizabeth.

"They have this system where each kid has a number of cards. It always starts on green. The first offense earns yellow, the second is red, and the last is black. For each flip, you lose a little bit of your recess. If you get yellow, you lose half of your recess. If you get red, you lose your whole recess. If you get black, you get sent to the principal's office and lose all of your recess for the week." Elizabeth explained before taking a bite of her mashed potatoes.

"Sounds complicated." Burt said, rolling his eyes before looking over at Kurt. "So what'd you do to get your card flipped?"

Kurt and Dave exchanged looks, and Kurt almost slapped Dave because he knew he was going to be laughing at any minute. Instead, he opted to kick him under the table before looking nervously at his father.

"Well?" Burt asked.

"It was all Hannah's fault." Kurt stated matter-of-factly.

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh. We were playing house and I was the dad and Hannah was the mom and Dave was the kid."

"Weird set-up, but okay. What happened?" Burt said, and Dave did let out a giggle now. Burt got the idea that Dave was also somehow in on it, especially if they'd been playing together. He looked at Elizabeth who just smiled behind her napkin.

"Well the dad was supposed to go to work so I left the little house area and Hannah started yelling at me 'cause I didn't kiss her and I didn't want to kiss her and I told her so." Dave burst into giggles, and Burt was doing his best not to smile now, but it was damn near impossible. Elizabeth was already hiding her face. "It's not funny Dave, shut up."

"What happened after that?" Burt asked, willing his voice to stay normal.

"She stormed over and told me that I had to kiss her, but I told her that I couldn't and Dave said it was 'cause I already had a girlfriend."

"A girlfriend, really?" Burt asked, raising an eyebrow and looking down the table at Elizabeth, who seemed just as curious as he did.

"She's not _really_ my girlfriend, Dad." Kurt said, rolling his eyes.

"So you lied?" Elizabeth asked, and Kurt bit his lip as he nodded. Oops. Probably shouldn't have told them that part. "You know better than that."

"Well, hon, he said this girl wouldn't leave him alone otherwise. Maybe a little lie like that wouldn't hurt." Burt shrugged.

"Well, who did you say was your girlfriend? What did she have to say about it?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh, Brittany doesn't know yet. She wasn't there today. We're gonna tell her tomorrow." Dave explained.

"So you caused a ruckus over a kiss, huh?" Burt asked, grinning.

"I didn't wanna kiss her!" Kurt said, as if this should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"You're so much like your mother." Burt smiled, shaking his head.

"Burt!" Elizabeth laughed, throwing a dinner roll at him.

"Hey!" He laughed, ducking. The boys were giggling, watching Kurt's parents go back and forth, throwing rolls at each other. "It's true. I thought you were _never_ going to let me kiss you."

"Yeah, well all that waiting paid off, didn't it?" Elizabeth smiled, nodding towards Kurt. Burt stared at Kurt for a moment, his smile widening as he nodded in answer.

"It really did."

Dave was confused. Earlier in the day, he'd received a note that he was to go home with Kurt after school. Not that he didn't like that, because he probably would have just gone home to ask if he could go to Kurt's anyway, but he wasn't used to being told to go straight to Kurt's after school. Something was off, and he didn't like it. Burt was home when Kurt and him got to Kurt's, which wasn't normal. He and Elizabeth were sitting in the kitchen, talking in hushed tones while the boys sat in the living room, watching television. As much as Dave liked Scooby-Doo, he couldn't bring himself to pay attention.

They'd been here for a couple of hours already, and still, Dave had no idea what was going on. He knew there was something going on, because he'd heard his name come up several time in the conversation. As far as he could tell, it was something to do with his dad, but he had no idea what happened other than that. He thought he heard something about the hospital, but that couldn't be right because if his dad was in the hospital, his mom would have told him.

"What's the matter, Davey?" Kurt asked, nudging Dave in the side. Dave couldn't help but smile. Kurt only ever called him Davey when he wanted to cheer him up. Or when he was sick. When he was sick and had to stay in bed, he always called him Davey.

"Nothing." Dave sighed, looking back at the television. He knew Kurt probably didn't believe him, but he pretended to be into the cartoon, even laughing when Shaggy and Scooby took off to hide, as usual. Unconvinced, Kurt turned back to watch television.

When he'd told Burt and Elizabeth that he needed to go home because it was starting to get dark, Elizabeth told him that she'd spoken to his mother and that he would be staying the night with Kurt for the night. While this was cause to be a little excited – and he was excited over staying the night with Kurt – he still couldn't help but be a little worried. He hadn't heard from his mom or dad at all today, and he still couldn't get the thought of the hospital out of his head. There was something wrong, and he hated that neither of the adults would tell him anything.

"What's wrong with my dad?" He finally asked as Elizabeth was tucking the two boys in. Burt was putting a movie into the DVD player, and he straightened up, his eyes on Elizabeth.

"Why do you think there's something wrong with your dad?" Burt asked, coming over to stand at the foot of the bed.

"'Cause I heard you guys talking a little bit earlier." Dave said, looking up at Burt. Burt and Elizabeth exchanged looks for a long moment before Elizabeth let out a soft sigh and sat down on the bed next to Dave, putting an arm around him. Burt sat down next to her and Kurt slid between the two so he could climb into Burt's lap. Burt wrapped his arms around Kurt and Kurt rested his head on Burt's chest, looking at Elizabeth and Dave.

"Your dad was in a car accident." Elizabeth explained. "So your mom has been at the hospital with him all day today, and she decided she wanted to stay the night with him. She thought you would rather spend the night with Kurt than go sleep at the hospital."

"Is he okay?" Dave asked, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Yes, of course, honey." Elizabeth said, smoothing his hair back. "He just needs to stay there for a couple of days so that the doctors can make sure that he's completely healthy. He broke his arm, though." Elizabeth said.

"Is he gonna have to wear a cast?" Dave asked as she kissed his forehead.

"I think so." Elizabeth answered. "Maybe he'll let you sign it." Dave's expression brightened considerably at the thought of being able to sign his dad's cast. Maybe his dad would let him draw something on it.

"We're gonna take you to see him tomorrow, 'kay kiddo?" Burt said. "For now, you two need to get to bed. I put in Aladdin for the two of you to watch." He reached out to ruffle David's hair before nudging Kurt off of him. Kurt reluctantly climbed out of Burt's lap and slid down to the head of the bed to slip beneath the covers. Dave followed Kurt's lead and climbed beneath the covers next to Kurt. First Elizabeth and then Burt gave them both kisses on the cheek and told them goodnight before they headed out of the bedroom, turning off the light as they went.

"You okay, Davey?" Kurt asked, cuddling closer to Dave.

"I wanna see my dad." Dave almost whined. He covered his face, not wanting to cry, but not really being able to help it. Kurt wrapped his arms around Dave, and Dave calmed a little bit. Kurt always made him feel better, and he didn't really have to do much of anything.

"He's okay, Davey. We're gonna go see him tomorrow and then soon you'll get to go home and then you'll have to help him do lots of stuff because he won't be able to use his broken arm." Kurt explained. Dave knew he didn't really have any experience with broken arms, but it seemed reasonable enough. Dave cuddled closer to Kurt, sniffling.

"I'm glad my mom let me stay the night with you." Dave said quietly.

"Me too. And we get to watch Aladdin." Kurt pointed out, gesturing to the TV. "The genie's your favorite." Dave looked over at the TV, smiling. The genie _was_ his favorite, after all. He gave a little giggle, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, you're right, Prince Ali." Dave said, giggling.

Paul turned out to be just fine. He'd escaped the nasty accident with just a broken arm, and everyone was grateful for this. Burt grumbled non-stop about teenage drivers who drove way too fast on slick roads, especially during the rainy season. Elizabeth just rolled her eyes, but let her husband complain. She remembered the days when they were just teenagers and Burt drove a little fast, and she said as much. Burt would then proceed to rant about how he was _much _more careful than most of the young brats on the roads these days, and she would just laugh, shaking her head.

Kurt loved to watch the two bicker. He always knew when they were seriously fighting and when they weren't, and more often than not, the play-fights ended in a kiss, and Kurt always thought it was so sweet. Dave often told Kurt that he wished his own parents were more like Burt and Elizabeth. Kurt sometimes felt bad when Dave said that, because he knew that Dave wasn't as close with his parents as Kurt was with his own. He'd almost bet that Dave was closer with _Kurt's_ parents than his own.

The last few months of first grade went by rather quickly. Dave spent a little more time at home, helping his dad out whenever he'd let him. Even if they weren't close like Kurt and his dad, Dave loved his dad more than anyone else. So he spent whatever time he could with him, and though Kurt missed him, he thought it was good that Dave and his dad were together so much. Kurt even went and played at Dave's house more often, which Dave's mom didn't seem to like too much, but Paul didn't really seem to mind at all. Whenever they spent the night together, it usually ended up being over at Kurt's.

The boys were just ready for the school year to be over with. During the last month of school, their parents had been discussing the possibility of renting a cottage together at a nearby lake. They wanted to rent it for the duration of the summer, using it whenever they had the free time. Kurt and Dave kind of worried about how their parents would do living in a small cottage together, but once they found out that they would be sharing a room, all worries were completely forgotten. They would be spending a lot of a summer by a lake, sharing a room, and Paul was even talking about bringing their camping gear along for the boys to spend some nights out in a tent if they wanted. Their own little camping trip by the lake.

When the parents finally agreed on a cottage and decided that renting it out for the summer was a good idea, the boys were eager for school to be over so that they could just go already. Even Burt and Elizabeth were more than a little excited over the idea. Burt and Paul talked about fishing and taking the boys for hikes, while Elizabeth and Katherine discussed the cottage and room arrangements and everything else that was coming with the summer vacation.

As soon as school let out on the last day, both boys raced out to the pick-up area, bouncing and talking excitedly as they waited for their parents to pick them up. When they finally spotted Elizabeth's jeep, the teacher had to keep them from charging off in that direction. It took a moment to get their focus, but when she finally did, she told them, "Even though you guys were a handful, and you couldn't _pay_ me to do it all over again, I enjoyed having you two in my class. I hope you two enjoy your summer, because I know I'll be enjoying mine."


	3. Second Grade

**A/N: **So sorry that this took so long to update. My busy life coupled with the heaviness of the chapter made it difficult. That being said, please don't kill me for the feels.

* * *

Another summer gone and passed, but Kurt and Dave would look back on that summer later in their lives and agree with no hesitation that it had been the best summer they had ever had. They'd lived out every little boy's dreams at the lake house and the wooded area surrounding it, and when they grew tired of playing, they collapsed on the floating dock or the grass clearing near the back patio and just watched the clouds or counted the stars, depending on when they were finally tired enough to do so.

Neither of them could honestly say they were looking forward to school. It wasn't that they didn't like school. They loved school. Well, Kurt did, anyway. Dave wasn't so fond of it. The problem was that they knew that once they were back in school, the same old strain of the past two years would be put on their friendship, and neither really wanted that. Many times over the summer, Kurt had voiced his wish that they could just never go to school again.

Having watched the boys all summer, the parents were beginning to see the change in the boys – the way they were transitioning into two kids that didn't seem as close as they had been, and the four adults were more than a little puzzled. They went so far as to ask the boys if they were having problems, but as usual, the boys shook their heads. Kurt sometimes felt guilty for not being honest with his parents. When he would tell Dave this, Dave would just ask, "Do you want to get into trouble?" Kurt would just shake his head, and they would go back to playing normally. Used to, Kurt felt somewhat okay with keeping this secret, but more and more, it was beginning to feel like something he shouldn't.

At the young age of seven, the boys' mothers decided that they were old enough to go to the movies, beginning with Cats & Dogs in the summer. Kurt and Dave had loved it, though they liked to argue over whether cats or dogs were better. Dave liked dogs. Big dogs. He was still trying to talk his parents into getting him a golden retriever for Christmas, at least. Kurt, on the other hand, wasn't much of a pet person, though he liked to think that if he were to get one, he would want a cat. He especially liked the white persian he'd seen in the movie, and Dave would just roll his eyes and call him evil. Kurt just giggled.

The second movie they went to see was Osmosis Jones, and they had liked it enough. That night, they had laid in Kurt's bed and talked about what their cells were doing in their bodies at that exact moment. Did they have a police officer like Osmosis Jones protecting them from viruses? What even was a virus? They just shrugged and giggled, accepting the idea easily, as children often do.

One of the highlights of the school year was Halloween. Despite their friendship over the last two years, the boys had avoided trick-or-treating together, much to the surprise to their parents. They just didn't like the idea of getting caught out together, and Dave had usually wanted to go with his other friends. Since his group was going with other kids he wasn't allowed to be around, he opted to go with Kurt, and though their parents didn't dress up, they did tag along.

Dave and Kurt had wanted to dress up as two characters that actually went together, but they could never quite agree on anything. Kurt wanted to go as Mario, but Dave didn't want to be Luigi. Dave had wanted to dress up as Ash, but Kurt didn't want to go as Brock, and he definitely didn't want to dress up as Dave's Pokemon. Dave wanted to be a Transformer, and Kurt had no interest. So, in the end, they had decided to go as unrelated things, and it had worked out for them.

When Dave and his parents showed up at Kurt's, Kurt couldn't refrain from giggling. He had forgotten that Dave was also a fan of X-Men, and he had never realized it before, but Dave was the _perfect _Wolverine. The part that was making him laugh, though, was the fact that the costume was muscled, and Dave so did not have those muscles, and so to Kurt, he looked kinda silly. Dave must have thought Kurt looked silly, too, because he was also giggling. Kurt bared his fangs and hissed at Dave, who just collapsed on Kurt's couch in a fit of giggles, shaking his head. Annoyed, Kurt shook his cape menacingly at Dave, which had the opposite effect that Kurt desired. Crossing his arms and putting his nose in the air, Kurt went into the kitchen, while Dave struggled to catch his breath on the couch.

"Where's Dave?" Elizabeth asked, prompting a glare from Kurt.

"In the _living room_." He said and sat down at the table, reaching for one of the bright cupcakes iced in orange that Elizabeth had made a couple of hours earlier. Burt pushed them out of his reach, which elicited a whine from Kurt.

"Later. We have to get going." Burt told him.

"But-"

"_Later_."

"Fine." Kurt huffed, hopping down from his seat as he pouted. Elizabeth gently rubbed Kurt's back, looking concerned at him before shooting a wary glance at Burt, who just sighed and went into the living room with Paul. Kurt was aware that Elizabeth and Katherine were whispering about the two of them, and he could see why. Kurt and Dave were usually fine, but the last couple of days had not been so nice for the two of them, and Kurt still had a little bit of leftover anger for Dave letting his friend shove Kurt.

"Let's see your make-up, my little vampire." Elizabeth said softly, kneeling down in front of Kurt. She examined his face, making sure that all of the make-up was in place, and then she pulled a jolly rancher from her pocket and held it out to Kurt. "I know vampires don't eat this sort of thing, but I have a feeling you could use something sweet."

Kurt smiled softly as he took the candy, noting that it was grape – his favorite – and wrapping his arms around his mother's neck. She had a fruity smell. He remembered her saying once that she preferred the fruity scents to the flowery ones, and so she almost always smelled of fruits. Tonight, it was raspberries. He inhaled deeply and sighed, letting his anger dissipate with the release of that breath. Sometimes all he needed was for his mother to hug him. "I love you, mommy."

"Love you, too, sugar."

She pulled back and stood, taking his hand and guiding him into the living room, where everyone else was waiting for the two of them. He didn't notice the look shared between his parents, or the nod that his father gave. He was singling out Dave, who looked troubled, and he couldn't help but wonder why. He didn't want Dave to look upset. Was it his fault? He couldn't be sure. Some words exchanged that had the adults laughing, the six of them started out of the house and down the street. Dave and Kurt were silent for the first few doors, only giving the customary "Trick or Treat" that was required when the door opened and smiling ladies with white hair and wrinkled skin stepped out to fill their bags.

"I'm sorry." Dave said quietly, as they made their way up to a neighbor's home. Kurt pressed his shoulder against Dave's the best that he could, and the two of them smiled at one another before ringing the doorbell. An innocent forgiveness that we learn to avoid as we become adults, because holding grudges is so much easier, but much more toxic.

"Who's ready for the Miller house?" Burt asked, a huge grin spreading across his face. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, smiling. Paul shared Burt's smile, while Katherine just shrugged, not as interested.

"Oh dad, we're big boys. We won't get scared or anything." Kurt said brightly, grabbing Dave's hand and skipping off towards the neighborhood horror house. Every year, the Miller's went all out, setting up a maze in their massive front yard and enlisting teens in the neighborhood to dress up and scare others who came through. At the end, they were rewarded with a good amount of candy, and the parents shared a few amused words with the old couple before taking their frightened children home. Every year, Kurt had been determined to not let himself be frightened, and every year, he still ended up being frightened. People came from other neighborhoods as well, as the Millers usually made the front paper, and so there was usually a line, in which the Grim Reaper stood at the front of, letting people pass when he felt that the previous group was far enough ahead.

Kurt bounced excitedly on his heels as they stood in the line, and Dave watched the line shorten with wary eyes. He was admittedly frightened of ghost, and he had once been certain that one was living in his closet. It had just turned out to be their cat Geemo, but Dave still wasn't entirely convinced that they didn't have one. He knew that people walking around in white sheets weren't ghosts at all, but he was still a little scared. So scared that he yelped when he felt something brush against his leg and looked down to see a small black kitten nudging his leg.

Kurt bent down and scooped the kitten up, cooing over it. Dave just glared at the small kitten, and it glared back at him. He almost thought it looked smug, if cats could look smug. Dave could hear it purring in Kurt's arms, and he felt himself smiling, though he didn't want to. _Stupid kitten_.

Elizabeth scratched under the kitten's chin as she leaned over the two of them, saying something about black cats on Halloween. Dave glanced up at Burt as he heard him mutter to his own father that he was pretty sure black cats were bad luck year round. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and looked at the two of them, smiling as she said, "Anything cute is bad luck to you." Burt smiled, giving her a small nudge and the line moved forward.

The boys, while in line, had decided that they would like to go it alone. Elizabeth and Katherine were not so keen on the idea, but Burt and Paul both thought that if the boys really thought they would like to, there really wouldn't be any harm in it. So when they finally (and reluctantly) reached the Grim Reaper that stood guarding the entrance of the maze, they explained that they would be entering _without_ their parents, thank you very much. Grim, whose face they could not see under the mask, obliged, silently stepping out of their path and gesturing with his scythe for the two of them to move forward. Kurt was already shaking, his hands locked tightly onto Dave's arm. Dave felt a shiver of fear for the unknown, but stood tall, because he had to protect Kurt.

"Dave?" Kurt whispered, once he knew that they were out of earshot.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared." Kurt admitted.

"I know."

"Are you?"

"No." _Lie._  
"Don't leave me alone, 'kay?"

"'Kay. I won't."

And he didn't.

* * *

The Harry Potter craze was one of the high points of the year. Kurt was too young to read the book himself at this point, but Elizabeth liked to read chapters to him before bed. On the weekends, Kurt and Elizabeth would fill Dave in with what he had missed, and then the two boys would sit, giddy with excitement, as Elizabeth read the next chapter. There were things that they didn't understand, things that they asked about, and even though they weren't always sure what was going on, they knew two things: one, they loved Harry Potter, and two, they really wanted to go to Hogwarts when they were eleven.

Before the release of the movie, their local bookstore held some sort of Harry Potter event for fans of the book. Kurt and Dave didn't even have to ask their parents; it had already been decided that the six of them would be attending. Anxious and unable to sit still, like children usually were, neither of them really slept the night before, which was probably not the greatest thing for them, because the party didn't even start until the evening. When they finally got home from school that Friday afternoon, both were sluggish and rubbing at their eyes, doing their best to fight off the sleepiness that resulted from their tossing and turning the night before. When Elizabeth suggested that they take a nap, the two of them had whined all the way to Kurt's room, whined as they had crawled into bed. They had whined as they laid there, facing one another. They whined until they passed out.

When Elizabeth checked on them a little later, her heart warmed at the sight of the two boys curled into one another, their bodies a tangled mess of arms and legs, still facing one another. As one breathed in, the other breathed out, and she wondered what life would be like if these two hadn't somehow overcome the differences, if they hadn't become the friends that they are. As she looked on, she was reminded of she and Burt – the kind of 'I am not whole without you' relationship that they shared. Sometimes, it seemed that Kurt would not be complete without Dave, or that Dave would not be complete without Kurt. You could not think of one without thinking of the other, and she both wondered and hope if it would always be that way.

"They're still asleep?" Burt whispered from behind her.

"Mm. Like little logs." She answered, leaning back into him as he wrapped an arm around her waist, his lips gently touching her neck.

"Do we have time?" He asked, his mouth finding her earlobe.

"I think we can manage." Elizabeth smiled, letting him lead the way into their bedroom and flipping the lock behind them.

"He's so into all this wizard stuff." Burt commented, as he and Elizabeth watched Kurt get a little wand painted onto his cheek. He shifted from one foot to another. He wasn't particularly fond of crowds, especially with as crowded as this thing turned out to be. But, his son and his son's best friend were really into this, and so he'd endure it. He just hoped that they were ready to go soon. He was getting a little antsy.

"He is. He's really excited about the movie coming up, too." Elizabeth told him, putting a hand on his arm to calm him. He stilled immediately, her touch having the soothing effect that she had hoped it would.

"So you're gonna start reading him all the books?" Burt asked, smiling gently at Kurt, who beamed up at him from his seat as the weird lady dressed up like a witch slowly painted his face. How long did it take to paint a little freaking hat, anyway?

"Probably. I also think it would be really cute to write one of those letters for him and give it to him on his eleventh birthday. I think he'd like that." She explained, giving Burt's arm a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, but the school doesn't exist, so you're just gonna be getting his hopes up."

"We can explain that after the excitement wears off, honey."

"Well, if you think it's a good idea." Burt said, a little uncertain.

"We have plenty of time to think about it. That's about three years away, give or take some." Burt and Elizabeth both were hit by the fact that in such a short time, their little boy would be eleven years old. Elizabeth just wanted to hit the pause button and keep her son tiny and smiling for the rest of her life. She wanted to always remember Kurt as he was now. Not eleven, not fifteen, not twenty-five. She just wanted her little baby boy to stay a blissfully unaware baby for as long as he possibly could.

"Mommy, look!" Kurt said, jumping down from the chair and hopping over to Elizabeth. Actually hopped. Burt thought he looked incredibly silly, but not unusual in the crowd of children that surrounded them. Elizabeth just thought he looked adorable.

"I see, honey. Do you like it?"

"Uh-huh! Dave!" Kurt cried excitedly as Dave approached the small group of them. He had a little black spider painted on his cheek, mirroring Kurt's little wizard hat. They looked at one another and giggled, before clasping hands and moving on to the next station, dragging their parents along. Clearly, their nap had done wonders for the two of them.

By the end of the night, they were loaded down with all things Harry Potter, and Kurt was passed out in the back seat of the car, curled into the door, with his legs tucked beneath him on the seat. Elizabeth turned in her seat to see if he was asleep. She smiled as she turned back, relaxing into her seat and laying her head back. Burt reached over, resting a hand on Elizabeth's knee, and Elizabeth laced her fingers with his. He brought their hands to his lips, kissing the back of hers gently as he smiled over at her. These were the perfect little moments that seemed so unimportant, but that would be seared into their memories forever.

* * *

"Kurt?" Mrs. Sanders whispered, tapping on his shoulder. She knelt beside him, so that her eyes were level with his, and Kurt felt disoriented for a moment as he tried to shift his focus from the test on his desk to her soft face. He felt afraid that he was in trouble for something, and he was pretty certain he hadn't let his eyes stray anywhere. He wasn't a cheater. "Your dad is here to pick you up."

Her voice was soft, sad, and Kurt didn't really understand why she sounded so sad. He wondered what she was so sad about, but he knew he wouldn't find out because he was leaving. He looked up at the clock, noting that they still had a lot of time for the school day. He wasn't really sure why his dad would be picking him up. He didn't have any appointments for today, and even if he did, it was always his mother who took him to those.

"What about my test?" He whispered.

"You can finish it another day." She gently took his paper from him. He glanced around the room, finding that the rest of the students eyes were on him. Mrs. Sanders seemed to notice this as well, because she said firmly, "Five more minutes, class."

Kurt gathered his things, taking his homework from earlier and asking about homework for later. He wished he knew what was going on, because he just felt really confused mostly, and he didn't know why he had to miss school in the first place. Mrs. Sanders only shook her head and told him that they would worry about it later, that he would be excused from it. His mouth set into a frown as he moved out into the hallway, stuffing his folders into his backpack. He didn't understand, and he felt scared, but he didn't know why. His father came up behind him, gently helping him into his coat. Burt didn't offer a hello as they made their way down the hallway, and as Kurt looked up at his father, he could swear his father had been crying.

"Dad?" Kurt asked, taking his father's hand.

"Yeah, buddy?" Burt asked, sounding strained.

"Where are we going?" Kurt asked. As he passed Mrs. Huskey's class, he glanced in and caught Dave's eye. Dave gave him a quizzical look, but all Kurt could do was shrug. He was sure Dave would stop by his house after school. Hopefully, he would be there.

"We're going home, kiddo."

"But why did you have to pick me up? I can walk home after school is over." Kurt protested.

"I know that, Kurt."

"But then why-"

"Just be quiet now, son." Burt interrupted, and Kurt knew better. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he tried to will them to go away. He wasn't used to being snapped at. Burt looked down at him, his face softening as he gently squeezed Kurt's hand reassuringly. Kurt wasn't reassured. He glanced back towards Mrs. Huskey's classroom, and he wished that he could talk to Dave.

Kurt, seeing that his father needed the silence, held back the questions that flooded his mind. Instead, he sat in the back seat, staring at the fat raindrops that slid down the windows. He was surprised that it was raining today, considering it had just snowed the day before. His father was driving cautiously on the slippery roads, and Kurt noticed that he seemed tense. He wondered what was bothering his father so much. It had to be something big for his father to be pulling him out of school, and that worried Kurt. When they finally made it into the garage, Kurt realized that he was glad to be home. He noticed that his mother's car wasn't in the garage, and he decided that she must not be home. He wondered where she was.

Kurt followed his father into the house, hanging up his backpack on the rack next to the door. His father helped him out of his coat, hanging it up over his bag. Kurt let his father lead him to the couch, where Burt sat down and pulled Kurt to stand in front of him, his hands on Kurt's waist. Whatever this was, it was serious.

"Buddy?" Burt finally said quietly, keeping his eyes locked on Kurt's.

"Yeah, Dad?" Kurt asked, fear edging into his voice. He didn't like all of this mystery, all of this anticipation that made his stomach tighten and untighten again and again. He shuffled from one foot to the other, trying to quell his impatience. His father steadied him, holding him still as though he would disappear if he didn't stay still. His father's eyes were searching his own, and Kurt was curious as to what was going through his father's mind. What was he trying to see there?

"This morning after you left for school, your mom went to the grocery story." Burt explained. Kurt simply nodded. This was not unusual for his mother. She tried to get most of her errands done during the day, while Kurt was at school. Burt took a deep breath, as though he needed all the air he could muster to push out the next words. "On the way home, she got into a car wreck."

"Oh." Kurt blinked. Was that all? Mr. Karofsky had been in a car accident a year ago, and everything had been okay then. He just had a broken arm, and he got to go home from the hospital not long after the wreck. So why was this such a big deal? Oh, maybe his mom would be in the hospital for a couple of days, and that's what this was all about. "When do we get to see her?"

"Well, that's it, Kurt. We don't get to-" Burt's voice broke, and Kurt grew even more scared. That's what happened to Kurt whenever he was about to cry, and Kurt had never seen his dad cry before. He wasn't sure he wanted to see his dad cry.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked, his voice panicky as he looked at his father with wide eyes. What did that mean? She broke more than an arm? They wouldn't get to see her for even longer? _What did that mean?_

"Do you remember what happened to Grandma Vera?" Kurt stilled now. He hadn't seen Grandma Vera since she was in that thing... the coffin. They had put the coffin in the ground, and Kurt used to think that maybe she was just sleeping for a really long time down there, but from the way it was explained to him, she would be sleeping forever, and he'd never get to see her again. He knew now thatshe wasn't asleep, but he didn't really know what that meant, either. She was... gone. His mom always said that she was in heaven.

"Is Mommy going to be sleeping for a long time?" Kurt asked quietly.

"Forever."

"And we'll never see her again?" Kurt asked, his voice quivering now. Burt shook his head, and Kurt watched as a tears slipped from his father's eyes, and he could feel that his own face mirrored his father's own. He wrapped his arms around Burt and buried his face in Burt's neck. Burt wrapped his arms tightly around Kurt, wondering how the hell they were going to manage this, because he couldn't imagine his or Kurt's life without Elizabeth in it. But she was gone. She was gone, and she wouldn't be coming back. They didn't have her anymore.

* * *

Despite his reluctance to go, Kurt was still forced to go to school. Somehow, it just didn't seem right to carry on as though nothing had happened, when Kurt's entire world had fallen down around his feet. Only being seven, he didn't realize that what he was doing was grieving, he just knew that nothing felt okay, and he really didn't want to have to face the world. He didn't feel ready. He went anyway, though, because his father made him.

Because he had fought so hard to stay home, he actually ended up being late, and his father had to drive him to school to sign him in. Burt wasn't pleased about this, probably because it was making him late for work as well, but Kurt was too upset to really care. The secretary in the office gave him a look full of sympathy, and he didn't understand why, but he wished she'd stop looking at him like that. He didn't like it. So he simply scowled and made his way to his classroom, telling his father that he didn't need him to walk with him.

He was being a brat, he knew, but he just couldn't care right now. He just wanted to be at home, curled up in his parents bed with his mother. He wanted her to do that thing where she ran her finger down his forehead and nose. He wanted her to ruffle his hair and tell him that he needed to behave for Daddy. He wanted her to wrap him tight in her arms and tell him that she loved him very much. There was an ache in his chest that he'd never felt before, that he'd never really understood. He never knew he could feel like this, and it hurt. It actually hurt. He knew what it felt like to be antsy from being too excited, but he'd never felt so sad that he didn't want to move.

He couldn't focus on his work, and many times, Mrs. Sanders had to grab his attention by calling him out in class, only to have it slip away a few seconds later. She looked at him the same way that the secretary did, and he didn't know why it made him so angry, but it did. He was mostly oblivious to the whispering, but he often caught the stares of the other students. So, the already weird boy just grew even stranger, didn't he? Kurt frowned down at the worksheet in front of him, his teeth clenched together as he tried to tune it all out – just ignore it all. Just thinking about... no, he couldn't think about her, either. That just made it worse.

Their recess came early, and Mrs. Sanders pulled Kurt aside once they were outside. The day was warmer than they had been of late, and the teachers were taking advantage of it – letting the kids play outside for the first time all spring. It seemed unfair to Kurt that just the day before, it had been raining and wet and because of this, his mother was dead.

He hated that word.

"Kurt... I know you probably don't think so right now, but everything is going to be okay." She told him as she sat down next to him on the bench. He didn't bother to look at her as he kicked his legs back and forth, unable to reach the ground. He was staring at a basketball goal. He thought maybe if he fixed his concentration on one point, everything else would fall away and maybe he would disappear along with it. "If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here to listen."

_She_ had said that, too.

He didn't offer up any words. He didn't even move in the slightest. Talking to his teacher wasn't something he wanted to do. No matter how much she thought she might help, he didn't want to be helped. Not by her. He wanted... he couldn't have what he wanted, and realizing this once again, the ache pulsed inside of his chest, spreading through his stomach and legs and arms and neck until it consumed all of him, and he was left alone to wonder what this feeling was and why he had to endure it. He didn't think he'd ever felt this badly in his entire life. Not even a million fights with Dave had ever made him feel this way.

When the whistle blew, his body responded automatically. He wasn't really aware that he was walking, standing in line until he felt fingers in his own. Confused, he turned to see Hannah, smiling sadly. It took him a moment to register that she was probably trying to comfort him, and then he remembered that her dad had died when she was a baby. He suddenly felt sad for her because all of this time, he'd never understood. He wished he didn't. She let go of his hand, and he forced a small smile to let her know that he appreciated the effort.

They walked single file – rather loudly, much to their teacher's dismay – to the restrooms, which was their usual stop after recess. This was one of the few times of the school day that Kurt absolutely hated, because it meant that he was alone with Eric for a small amount of time. Eric usually took advantage of the time. Despite his mother always telling him that hating was bad, Kurt would always swear that he hated Eric. He'd never hated anyone so much. Kurt wondered what he might say today, as the boys filed into their restroom and the girls when into theirs.

"Hey Hummel... I heard your mom died." Kurt flinched. Not even ten seconds. He didn't even wait ten seconds after entering the bathroom. Kurt ignored him. Maybe if he just ignored him... "You know why, right? You know why?"

"Leave 'im alone." Jimmy said quietly. It only encouraged Eric.

"It's 'cause your a fag and god hates fags." Rage. Kurt clenched his fists tightly, desperately trying to ignore his instinct to hit.

"Eric." Jimmy's voice was pleading.

"God hates fags and so he killed your mom. That's what my mom said. She said it's 'cause god's punishing you. So he killed your mom."

He couldn't ignore it. To say that Kurt's mom's death was something caused by Kurt... to say that it was his fault that she had died – because of some big man in the sky who apparently felt it was necessary to punish Kurt by hurting someone else... there was no truth to it and Kurt knew that, but the idea that _someone_ could believe it... The idea that someone could believe it and smile as they said it... It made Kurt see red. He had never felt so much anger, and it wasn't even because he'd been called a fag or that he'd been blamed. His mother didn't deserve this kind of talk. She was the last person on earth who deserved anything like this.

Kurt launched himself at Eric, his shoulder connecting with Eric's stomach, knocking the wind out of the bully and cutting his surprised cry short. Taking advantage of Eric's shock, Kurt climbed on top of him, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him as he screamed, "Take it back! Take it back!"

He could feel the tears on his face, watched them fall onto the dazed bully, who was only just beginning to fight back, but Kurt was already in place. He threw one punch, strangely satisfied by the contact but still craving more, and so he threw another. He couldn't see anything, hear anything, he could only feel his fist meeting Eric. Someone was tugging at him, but he refused to be taken, refused to let himself be moved. God, what would his mother – Kurt's fist stopped in mid-air. He blinked rapidly, looking down at Eric, who lay underneath him, crying. Kurt swallowed hard and turned his head to see Mrs. Sanders looking down at him as she tried to tug him off of Eric, and he immediately went limp, complying with her. His mother would be furious. If she were here.

He knew that he wasn't going to get off easy, but he also knew that he wouldn't allow himself to get into anymore trouble, and so he sat by himself in the office. His knees were pulled up to his chest, and he rested his head on them. No one approached him, and he was glad for that. He could hear Eric whining in the nurse's office, and he was ashamed for the pleasure he felt at having caused Eric that pain. He didn't feel bad for hurting Eric – he only felt bad that he would have disappointed his mother.

When his father came in and gently brushed the top of his head with his fingers, Kurt didn't look up. He didn't want to see whether his father was upset or not. He only wanted to go home and lay in bed, but even that seemed incomplete. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. He wanted – no he _needed –_ his mother. He needed her more than he had ever needed anything, and he would never get to have her. He felt a pang in his chest again, and he only barely suppressed the sob that rose in his chest. Could he cry? Would his father be upset if he did?

He didn't join his father in the principal's office this time. The conversation was meant only for adult ears, and Kurt was relieved by this. He was sure he was going to be suspended for everything, and he didn't actually want to hear the principal say the words. They would sound safer coming from his father.

Burt was in the principal's office for what seemed to be an eternity, and when he finally emerged, he took Kurt by the hand and the two left the school together. Burt seemed lost in thought, and Kurt didn't press for information. Burt helped Kurt into the back seat, waited for him to get buckled, and then climbed into the front. They discussed lunch – which Kurt had missed out on – and they stopped by a pizza place on their way home.

Neither wanted to eat in the kitchen, though this desire wasn't voiced. It was a mutual understanding that didn't have to be spoken aloud, as they ate their pizza on the couch in the living room while watching silly cartoons. Burt was laying stretched out on the couch, and Kurt laid on the inside, between Burt and the couch, curled into his father's side. Despite being home, in the safest place he'd ever known, he felt off. Like suddenly things had been flipped upside down, and he didn't know how to put them right again. In fact, he felt it wasn't something he could even do. Even if he knew how. He was just a little kid. What could he possibly do?

"I'm not mad at you."

Kurt tilted his head up to look at his father. He felt that his father should be mad. He beat up some kid in the bathroom. He got sent home from school. His dad had to come talk to his principal. He had to leave work... He should be mad.

"Your principal and I talked for a little while about you going to school. We think it's a good idea if you don't go until you're ready. You tried to tell me that this morning, and I didn't listen. I'm sorry." Burt said with a sigh. He hated admitting that he hadn't listened to his son, that he'd been so absorbed by his own grief that he didn't really think about how much his own son was hurting. It had been selfish of him not to think about how Kurt was struggling, and he wished that he had realized sending Kurt to school so soon would be so problematic.

"It's okay, Daddy. I know you miss Mommy, too." Kurt told his father, and he, too, felt badly for the way he'd acted in the morning. He hadn't really thought about how his dad was feeling, and maybe he should have because it couldn't be easy for him, either. Something dawned on Kurt, and he decided to voice it. "I can't stay home by myself."

"No. No, you can't. I'm going to take some time off work, too, because I think you and I need to spend a lot of time together, bud. It's not gonna be easy, but we can get through it because we're Hummels and that means we're strong."

"Mommy always said that means we're stubborn." Kurt said, laying his head on Burt's chest. He smiled when he felt his father's chest move as he let out a small laugh.

"Well, it does mean that, too. She was definitely right about that."

* * *

It seemed like no time at all had passed before the day of the funeral had finally arrived, and Kurt was nervous. He remembered Grandma Vera's funeral and how he had seen her body. He remembered that she looked like she was asleep, and he wondered if he'd see his mother like that, too. Would she look like she was dead? Or would she just look like she was asleep? Kurt stumbled around with his father, trying to find their suits and Burt trying to figure out how to get Kurt's clip-on tie to actually clip on, while also trying to remember how to knot a tie, because dammit, Elizabeth had always done all of these things.

They managed to make it to the funeral home in a timely manner, with a half hour to spare. They needed it, anyway, if they were to greet everyone, like they were expected to. Kurt saw that same look that his own teacher had worn, and he squeezed his father's hand. It didn't bother him so much right now, because he thought maybe they needed it. There was nothing they could do except look at him like that. Maybe they needed to feel bad for him so that they could feel like they were doing _something, _at least.

He avoided the casket for as long as he could. He could see from a distance that she lacked the color that he knew so well. She seemed peaceful. Kurt couldn't believe that she was asleep, though, because that simply wasn't how she slept. His mother was never a still sleeper, and his dad claims that's where he gets it. She tosses and turns and rolls and hits and kicks. She sprawls out on the bed, taking up lots of space. The woman in the coffin – she looked like his mother, but she wasn't his mother. It might have been her body, but it wasn't her. He felt a little relief in that – in knowing that they wouldn't be burying her asleep.

People spoke about her. They said all of the nice things that one should at a funeral, and it made Kurt feel good to know that other people cared about his mother. Maybe not as much as he or his father did, but they cared, and that's what was important.

Burt left Kurt's side and went to stand at the podium, taking his turn to speak. Burt stared out at everyone for a moment, and then let his gaze fall on the casket that held his beloved, and his breath caught in his throat. When they finally lowered her into the ground, she would be gone forever, and he would be on his own to raise Kurt – to raise his son, and Elizabeth had always been the better parent. She had kept him in line, and she had reasoned with him when she thought he was in the wrong. There wouldn't be anyone to do that now. How would he know if he was doing it all wrong? What if he wasn't a good father for Kurt?

He tore his eyes away from her to find Kurt, to see that he was still there sitting in the front row. He looks so small and helpless, but he had a strength in his eyes that Burt admittedly never believed Kurt had. He had never even known a child could possess that kind of strength – the kind that held you together when you were falling apart. He had so much of Elizabeth in him... he was the result of Burt and Elizabeth's love, and he was all that Burt had now. Burt would do everything that he could to give Kurt the kind of life that he deserved, the kind of life that Elizabeth would have wanted to give him. He would do his best to be both parents for Kurt, even if it took every ounce of him.

He still couldn't bring himself to speak. He wasn't an eloquent man. There was nothing relevant that he could say about Elizabeth that hadn't already been said. He knew things about her that no one else ever would, and he would cherish those things because though he feared he might forget her, he knew that deep down, he never would. She had been at the very center of his world, and though she was gone, he would fill the void with the memory of her. But right here, right now... there was nothing that he wanted to say or that he could say. So, instead, he excused himself and went to sit back down next to Kurt. He pulled him close, and Kurt snuggled into his side. He would protect Kurt the best that he could.

As they lowered the casket into the ground, Kurt began to cry. There was nothing that could be said to make any of it okay, and he knew that, but he wished that there was. He just wanted everything to feel okay again. He wanted his mother to come back. The earth seemed too cold and dark of a place for her warmth. He was going to miss her.

He felt his father's hand take his own, and he smiled up at his father through his tears. It was just the two of them now. They would be a team, and they had a long road ahead of them. Elizabeth was the one to take care of them through the years, and so they were going to have to learn to take care of each other. Some days would be harder than others, and sometimes – like earlier in the week – Kurt wouldn't feel like he was going to be okay, and that was okay. Or that's what his father had told him. He had told him that it was okay to feel upset, that it was okay to cry if he needed to. And so Kurt turned his face into his father's stomach, and he cried.

* * *

There was to be a dinner at their house, though Burt hadn't touched anything in the kitchen that day. He was not one for cooking – anything he'd ever tried to cook, he had burned, and so the kitchen was usually off-limits for him. Lucky for them, most people knew that, and so there were a lot of dishes made and brought over for the dinner. Kurt managed to sneak off into his room, away from all the guests, away from people with their sad looks and hushed voices and tissues. He peeled off his jacket and climbed into his bed, slipping under the covers.

He wasn't sure how long he'd laid there before he heard his door slowly creek open. The light outside was dimming, and so he knew that he must have laid there for longer than he thought. He heard the door click shut but didn't bother to climb out from underneath the covers. He couldn't tell from the footsteps who it was, but he could pretend to sleep if it was someone he didn't want to deal with. His covers were tugged back, and he found himself face to face with Dave. He felt such a strong relief flood him that it brought tears to his eyes, and he grabbed on to Dave's hand. Dave seemed to understand because he climbed into the bed with Kurt.

"When are you coming back to school?" Dave asked quietly.

"I dunno. Maybe soon. Will you come over after you get home?"

"'Course."

Kurt was grateful. Though they hadn't really talked or seen each other for most of the week, Dave was right here with him when he needed him the most, and you couldn't have a better friend than that. He knew that Dave had wanted to come over, and Kurt had wanted him to, but Dave's parents had said that Burt and Kurt had needed some time, and maybe they had been right, but Kurt was glad to have Dave here now. He needed his best friend. Kurt began to get sleepier as it started to get darker, and the light inside of the room dimmed. The darkness began to swallow them, wrapping them in a protective layer that no one could penetrate. Kurt could feel himself slipping, his eyelids drooping. He clung tightly to Dave, not wanting the other boy to leave him for a moment, and Dave showed no signs of wanting to leave.

"Don't leave me alone, 'kay?"

"'Kay. I won't."


	4. Finishing Second Grade

**A/N: **Firstly, I just want to apologize. I realize that it has been a really long time since I last updated. Between blocks and my computer crashing, it seemed impossible to update. This chapter is very short compared to my others, and this does bother me, but it was meant to be more of a tie in. I realized that the chapter before this would not connect well with the next chapter's beginning without some kind of explanation about Kurt going back to school and whatnot. I know this isn't much, but at least it's something. Secondly, I'd like to thank you for your reviews. They have been absolutely wonderful, and I am being completely honest when I say that I cherish them. So thank you for reading! If you ever have any questions or you want to talk to me, don't hesitate to send me a message. I'm friendly!

* * *

The weeks following Elizabeth's death were the hardest experiences either Burt or Kurt had ever had. With Kurt staying home from school, Burt was unable to work, which meant less work being done at the garage. Less work meant less money, but the two of them managed to scrape by. Their meals mostly consisted of frozen dinners anyway, so it wasn't like they were spending a fortune. The most they did that counted for going out was grocery shopping – the two preferred to stay seated on the couch, watching silly cartoons to try and balance the gravity of the situation.

As the weeks passed, however, Burt was beginning to see how this sort of situation might be more harmful to Kurt than beneficial. He was allowing him to stay home, eat a lot of junk, and laze around doing nothing. He knew that wasn't a far cry from what some kids were doing, and that there were probably many more kids doing the same or worse, but he felt somewhat ashamed. Elizabeth would never have allowed this sort of behavior.

He was arguing with himself more frequently. There was a part of him that knew how Elizabeth would react, knew what she would say in certain situations, and it often tried to reason with his own reactions and responses to things. Burt, however, did not listen all that well to himself telling himself how Elizabeth would do things. Sometimes he had to stop and ask himself if he was going crazy, but then he remembered that someone once said that only the sane question their sanity.

Dave was beginning to visit nearly as often as he used to, the three of them adjusting to the presence of one another minus the fourth family member who had always seemed to tie things together for the four of them. Burt began to pull the two of them out of the house, making them play catch with him outside or walk to the park with him. He didn't know if Dave realized what he was doing – how could he? He was just a child, after all – but Dave helped Burt to encourage motivation in Kurt to do things any normal eight year old might do. Though Burt was still worried, he was glad to see progress in Kurt, even if it wasn't exactly what he hoped for Kurt. At the same time, he could feel himself healing. The days were still hard, and most things made him think about Elizabeth and how much he wished she was here, but he was getting into the rhythm of life once again.

Relief shined through on a day that he didn't expect it to happen, and he hadn't realized how much he had needed it until it happened.

Kurt and Burt were sitting together quietly at the kitchen table – having recently taken back the kitchen, rather than letting the ghost of Elizabeth's memory render it a room unfit for the pair of them. They sat close together, Burt studying the pieces of the puzzle they were working on, while Kurt sat in a chair on his knees, leaning over the table and fiddling with pieces that hadn't yet been fitted into the puzzle. Burt could tell that something was working on Kurt's mind, but he knew from experience that it was best to let Kurt bring it up on his own, or he risked never knowing what it was.

"Hey Dad?" Kurt asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the puzzle while trying to be casual.

"Yeah, bud?" He asked, not looking up from the small square he was working.

"I think you should go back to work."

This startled a laugh out of Burt, and he looked up at Kurt, chuckling. Kurt's face was mostly serious, because as a child, he didn't really understand how what he'd said was funny, but he would let it pass anyway. He liked hearing his father laugh. It reminded him of old times, and he felt safe, protected when his father seemed happy. He never knew when it was real and when it was forced, but it didn't matter. As long as it was there, he could feel like everything was okay.

"I will. When you're ready to go back to school."

"That's what I mean," Kurt said, looking back down at the puzzle. "I wanna go back to school."

A flood of relief flooded over Burt – he didn't know he'd even been hoping for this at this point. Their way of life had become so completely normal, that he hadn't really thought about Kurt going back to school. It felt like it had been years since Elizabeth's death, when really, it had only been a little over a month. Kurt might not have realized it, but Burt saw this: if Kurt was ready to go back to school, he was finally ready to move on – past Elizabeth's death. And _finally _Burt truly believed that they were going to make it through this. He truly believed that Kurt was going to be okay, and if Kurt could be okay, then he could, too.

So, just like Kurt vowed, he returned to school the following Monday. He was surprised to be so eagerly greeted by his old classmates, some of which had never really liked him in the first place. However strange it was, he was happy to be among his old friends once again, and for the first time since Elizabeth's death, he allowed a little bit of normalcy from before her death settle back into his life. She might have touched every little aspect of his life, but this was one part that he could return to and not so strongly feel her absence.

His classmates were abuzz with his return to their lives, and many demanded the details of his fight with Eric that had seemed to happen an eternity ago. Kurt could remember the details, recall the anger and the hatred that had flooded over into physical violence, and though he didn't know why, it made him sick to think about it. He didn't voice that, but he did tell his classmates that he didn't want to talk about it. They pressed him every which way for details, but to his surprise, Santana piped up, telling them all that they needed to shut up because it was his own business and he didn't have to share if he wanted to.

He liked that. A lot.

After his prolonged absence, it was difficult to settle back into the normal routine of school, but Burt had told him that it wouldn't be much longer before he was out for summer break, anyway. He took comfort in that, especially when it came to Dave. At school, they couldn't carry on as they had at home, and Kurt wanted their friendship to just stay the same all of the time.

Dave had helped him to stay strong after all of this time. Kurt knew deep inside of him that Dave's hand was the one that he would never let go of. No matter what happened, they would still be best friends in twenty-years, and they would live right next door to each other and see each other every day. Kurt knew this because he was never going to give Dave up. Dave would never not be his friend, and he would always be the best friend that he could be to Dave.

In his return to school, the teachers kept a closer eye on Kurt. Not because of his previous violence, but because they were concerned about how Kurt was dealing with the death of someone so close to him. His teacher was not at all surprised to find that Kurt had become more subdued, being particularly less antsy in class. She had also noticed that Kurt had become much more short-tempered, and while he seemed to have more social contact with other students now, he also seemed much more withdrawn.

When summer began, it was a confusing mess for the Hummel boys as they tried to figure out some sort of routine that worked. Kurt was out of school, but Burt had to work. Burt sought out Dave's mother, Katherine, to see if they could work something out. Katherine agreed to watch Kurt throughout the summer, and so Kurt spent a good deal of time with Dave at his house. It felt a bit strange to be there and not at his own house, but he slid into it all quickly. Some days, he accompanied his father to the shop, where he would sit on the counter, drumming his feet against it while watching his dad. Sometimes it was nice to just have the sort of peace that came with sitting at his dad's work.

As Kurt went through the summer, he realized that they weren't doing the camping or going to the lake or doing the family things that they used to. Even the Karofskys had stopped, and he wondered if it was all on account that his mother was gone. Truthfully, he didn't feel that it would be the same without her, but he also didn't want the sad, lonely sort of life where they didn't have cookouts, and they didn't go camping. He went fishing with his dad and Dave a few times, but even that felt strange and off-kilter.

So it was that this was the summer Kurt realized that not having a mother changed everything. Even the best things.


End file.
